District council members' quarters torched in Manipur

Imphal, Sep 6: Violence and arson continued in Manipur with torching of quarters of district council members last night by agitators protesting against the passage of three bills in the assembly on August 31.

The quarters of the members of district council (MDC) were under construction. But some of the quarters which have been completed located at a remote part of Churachandpur town at Bungmual village were torched by the agitators at about 7.30 pm yesterday, a police official said today.

Several government buildings, houses of a minister and an MP have been torched by the protesters since the agitation began on August 31.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) spearheading the agitation in Churachandpur has decided not to claim the bodies of the eight persons killed in violence till the fulfilment of their demands to either withdraw the three bills or amend portions of the Bills, the official said.

All educational institutions would remain closed till the disposal of the bodies, the JAC has announced. Further, the JAC has decided to keep the markets open in Churachandpur town from early morning to 2 pm till tension prevailed, a JAC spokesman said.

The three bills seeking to protect the rights of the indigenous people, were the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (7th amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.

PTI