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June 19, 2001
0307 IST

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13 killed, indefinite curfew in Imphal

Thirteen persons were killed and more than 50 injured in violence and police firing as people protesting against the extension of the Naga ceasefire to other states of the Northeast indulged in widespread arson on Monday, the last day of the 66-hour Manipur bandh.

Unofficial sources put the death toll at 32.

The protestors torched the Manipur Assembly and the Chief Minister's secretariat.

An indefinite curfew was imposed in three districts - Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal - from 1300 hours (IST).

Police opened fire when supporters of the general strike called to protest against the extension of the Centre's ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah faction) went on the rampage.

The angry mob torched the state assembly secretariat, the chief minister's secretariat, the Speaker's bungalow, 15 residences of legislators and offices of political parties and destroyed more than 100 government vehicles, sources said.

Assembly Speaker Sapam Dhananjoy Singh was roughed up and suffered head injuries. He was removed to a safer place.

Sources said protestors torched the residences of Union Minister of State for Food Processing Th Chaoba Singh and former deputy chief minister L Chandramani Singh. Four members of the state legislative assembly were also injured. Three of them were identified as N Bihari Singh, L Tomba Singh and P Achou Singh.

Thousands of demonstrators, including women, raising slogans like 'Do not break up Manipur', 'No to ceasefire' and 'We will die for Manipur' laid siege to the Raj Bhavan demanding an audience with Governor Ved Marwah, but were stopped by the Reserve Battalion, Central Reserve Police Force and Assam Rifles.

Several MLAs and former ministers in the VIP area at Babupara left their official residences and headed for their constituencies after the angry protestors broke in.

Security and police forces were deployed in strength at tribal-dominated areas in Imphal and surrounding villages while some people from the hill areas fled to the valley, sources said.

The agitators also destroyed the offices of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Samata Party while those of the Congress, the Manipur People's Party and the Manipur State Congress Party were set on fire.

The Press Trust of India office in the VIP area in Imphal was saved, however, as the demonstrators, who torched the building next to it, were dissuaded from attacking it.

The trouble began in the morning when hundreds of demonstrators defying prohibitory orders came out on the streets and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani, former Union home secretary K Padmanabhaiah, who is now the Centre's emissary for the talks with the NSCN, and Naga extremist leaders Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah.

Important documents of the state assembly and property worth several crores of rupees were destroyed in the many fires set by the agitators.

The Centre rushed additional paramilitary forces to the state and Union Home Minister L K Advani, after speaking to Governor Ved Marwah, told reporters in New Delhi that the situation in the state was 'tense but under control'.

Manipur has been under President's rule since June 2.

PTI

EARLIER REPORT:
Manipur speaker, 4 MLAs burnt in mob fury

RELATED REPORTS:
Advani denies move to concede Greater Nagaland
All parties in Manipur oppose ceasefire, admits George
Koijam urges Centre to review pact with NSCN

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(c) Copyright 2001 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.

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