Clashes broke at the demonstration on Monday by villagers of Kwakta, Bishnupur district, when they blocked the Imphal-Tiddim highway in protest against the failure of the police to locate one Achouba Puyamayum who went missing from Ukhrul district on August 12. A few police personnel and villagers sustained minor injuries, and one luxury car was damaged as well.
People of the village had been agitating against police inaction in the missing person case. Mr. Puyamayum, a daily wage labourer, had gone to Ukhrul and was never heard from again.
The villagers had announced that if the missing person is not located by Sunday, a 24-hour blockade will be imposed with effect from midnight of September 4. This will be followed by a 48-hour general strike with effect from September 7, they had warned.
Keeping in line with the plan, hundreds of men and women started occupying the Kwakta part of the highway from early morning. They blocked traffic on the road by burning old tyres, logs etc. One car coming from Churachandpur district was stopped and damaged.
In view of the large number of persons imposing the blockade, police personnel from all neighbouring stations were rushed to maintain law and order. Police in riot gear fired several canisters of tear gas. However, the villagers were impervious to the crackdown, after which police had to fire several rounds in the air to disperse the crowd.
A police officer deployed there said that the youth of the village pelted stones and attacked policemen using slingshot, injuring some. While police took a few of the youth into custody, many women gathered to demand the immediate, unconditional release of the youngsters.
Later, the district administration arranged a meeting of the village elders, policemen and the Circle MLA Thoudam Shanitkumar to find out a solution.
In an unrelated incident, an inebriated police personnel beat up a 65-year-old woman vendor. The vendor, Mangolnganbi, tried to send him home since he was drunk, which allegedly had angered him. The woman sustained injuries to her nose and mouth.
