Irom party promises designated protest site

IMPHAL: London’s Hyde Park has a Speakers’ Corner that provides space for open-air public speaking and protests. Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and Kolkata’s Shahid Minar also serve a similar purpose.

If Irom Sharmila’s People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) has its way then Imphal will soon have its very own protest site – ‘Wakatpham’.

In its manifesto, Manipur’s newest party vowed to create a designated site for protests where people could hold demonstrations without disrupting the law and order situation.

While the party expectedly took a stand against Afspa in its manifesto, the promise to establish Wakatpham took many by surprise. “The Wakatpham, not be less than five acres in size, will be strictly reserved for the purpose of conducting public protests and demonstrations without disrupting normal economic activities and the education sector,” the manifesto said. The manifesto aimed to direct officials to pay heed to the protesters so that the government machinery could fulfil their demands.

PRJA also vowed to keep a check on illegal migrants, while also seeking a gap between military establishments and civilian set-ups in the state.

“All military forces will either leave Manipur or they will relocate their camps beyond 10km from all residential areas, marketplaces, educational institutions and cultural heritage sites,” Sharmila said.

Reserving at least 33% seats for women in all elected office, is also on PRJA’s agenda apart from amending the Manipur Official Language Act of 1979 to replace Bengali script with the indigenous Meitei Mayek.