Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 11 2009:
Decrying the mass looting of money from the shops and other business establishment, anguish merchants and shopkeepers in Jiribam town of Manipur bordering with Assam have decided not to give any kinds of monetary demand served by militant outfits.
Some armed miscreants suspected to PLA cadres looted most of the shops and business establishments located at Jiribam Bazar in the broad daylight yesterday.
They forcibly took away sales proceed of the day and left the place before security forces arrived there.
The incident occurred in the broad daylight around 1 pm yesterday, official reports said today.
However, the report could not estimate the total amount taken by the miscreants.
Anguish merchants and businessmen held a meeting with local meira paibis (women torch bearers) group today at Jiribam town hall today and discussed taking serious note of the act of the militants.
The meeting after thorough deliberation has decided not to pay any extortion demand served by underground outfits.
It also resolved to close shops and business establishment in the border town for all time if militants forced again forced them to pay money or repeated the looting incident.
Around 200 people including merchants, shopkeepers and womenfolk attended the meeting which started from 11 am and went on till 2 pm, a report from Jiribam received here said.
The meeting was jointly presided by Sorojini Devi, chairperson of the All Jiribam Meira Paibi Apunba Lup, a apex body of the women torch bearers of the town and Ingudam Birmangol, president of the All Jiribam Merchant Union.