Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 10 2009:
'Curfew has violated the civil liberty, human rights and legal rights apart from causing to fail the judiciary system,' said Advocate Khaidem Mani, the general secretary of Senior Citizen for Society (SCS), on the imposition of curfew in the wake of peoples' protest on Khwairamband incident of July 23 .
Expressing his wish that the government lift the curfew, Advocate Khaidem Mani told reporters today at his residence located at Loklaobung that curfew has reduced the people just to the status of fishes in a pot.
He said the imposition of curfew itself has prevented the people from challenging the curfew orders issued by respective Deputy Commissioners in court.
"Prolong and indefinite curfew means, in my opinion, interference in the judiciary system.
The High Court has a constitutional duty to dig on why and how much interference it causes," said the Senior Citizen.
Advocate Khaidem Mani argues that the government has to lift the curfew, because the agitation launched by the people is not violent.
He said the people are just putting some demands and airing their grievances.Advocate Khaidem Mani expressed that the people should take democratic and legal assistance to remedy their grievances.
He also sees the police actions of containing people's agitation as unlawful while demanding the police to stop their action.
Advocate Mani further said there is no significance of periodic lifting of curfew in a day for just four-seven hours.
He complains that though the executive and legislative are not affected by the curfew, the judiciary system has been greatly affected by the curfew.
He further reasoned that no criminal case could also be taken up due to curfew.