India News > Imphal, Aug 20 :

From naked protests by women to putting anti-government placards around dogs' necks, people in India's restive Manipur have come up with ingenious ways to vent their anger and demand the withdrawal of an anti-terror law.

When trouble first broke out on July 11 after the death of 32-year-old Thangjam Manorama in military custody, people took out a silent procession across the state.

But soon the protests became strident with demands for punishing the guilty soldiers involved in the killing of Manorama taking an ugly turn.

Hundreds of people stormed the paramilitary Assam Rifles headquarters in Manipur's capital Imphal a couple of days later with up to a dozen women disrobing themselves in full public view.

The naked women were holding placards that read: "Indian Army rape us" and "Indian Army take our flesh". And then began a series of protests and demonstrations with women taking the lead.

With flaming torches in hand, women in large numbers took to the streets and virtually clashed with riot police as a show of protest to demand the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act that gives sweeping powers to the military to shoot and sight and arrest anybody without a warrant.

To grab attention, the agitators came up with a slew of eye-catching protests -- some people took their pet dogs with placards demanding withdrawal of the act, while others burnt tyres on the streets for visual impact.

And trying to sustain the movement, the agitating leaders had called for the boycott of Indian-made goods like soft drinks and bottled water, besides students burning their books, mostly Hindi language textbooks, as a show of protest.

The agitation reached a climax on Independence Day on Aug 15 when a 32-year-old youth soaked his body with petrol and attempted to immolate himself in full public view with TV cameras and photographers stationed in the area beforehand.

This was the most ghastly sight with the youth resembling a ball of fire before dropping on the ground -- he died two days later with more than 85 percent burn injuries.

"People in Manipur are known for their dogged attitude. If they fight for any cause they would like to see their demands are met and not just fizzle out midway," said Jagat Thoudam, a civil rights campaigner.

And more than a month after the protests began, there are no signs yet of any let up in the agitation. "You just wait and watch. We are coming up with few more different tactics to keep alive this movement until and unless we get the desired results," said another rights activist Ibomcha Singh.

Indo-Asian News Service

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