Two persons, including a woman, were injured when police on Thursday night fired rubber bullets to prevent mobs from storming the heavily guarded central district of Imphal, housing offices of the Manipur governor and chief minister, during torchlight rallies against any attempt to divide Manipur to help settle the Naga insurgency issue.
Official sources said Mina Parungbam (34) and a 21-year-old youth were injured in the firing on participants of the rally organised by the United Committee of Manipur, an apex body of social groups, that strongly opposes any move to include parts of Manipur's territory in Nagaland as demanded by the NSCN (I-M).
At Thangmeiband, Uripok, Lamlong, Wangkhei, Yaiskul and many other entry points, police fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse slogan-shouting mobs, the sources said.
Rallyists shouting 'If Manipur's boundary is torn apart, Manipur will not remain in the Indian Union' pulled down barricades put up by police and attempted to enter the high security area where key institutions, including the state secretariat, are located.
People turned up in large numbers at the rallies organised in various places, official reports said.
Reports from Bishnupur district said thousands of people including a large number of women turned up, while over 6,000 participated in a rally in interior Kumbi area.
A huge number of people turned out in Imphal and Greater Imphal areas, official reports said.
Unprecedented security was in place in Imphal with police and paramilitary forces from far-flung areas brought to the state capital for deployment, the sources said.
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