Imphal: Business stopped at Khwairamband Ima Keithel today. Women vendors shut down the historic Imphal market to protest recent arrests made by the National Investigation Agency. They want the immediate release of all detained Arambai Tengol members within ten days.
Protesters held signs questioning government integrity and demanding the state honor its word. They argue that many individuals turned in weapons based on official promises that no punishment would follow. These arrests have shattered that fragile faith.
L. Mema Devi led the protest. She defended the local volunteers who stepped up when the state failed to provide protection. "How can people trust future appeals if today’s promises are ignored?" she asked.
The group claims these volunteers stepped in to guard their communities during the height of the crisis. Devi warned that the arrests threaten the peace currently returning to the valley. The vendors plan to escalate their actions if the state keeps the men in custody past the ten-day deadline.
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