Pourabi Blast Aftermath
15 wounded in critical condition, women take to streets:
Imphal, Dec 17: Out of the 22 wounded in Sunday’s bomb blast and admitted in various hospitals, seven have been discharged while 15 remain in critical condition.
Two of the injured, Takhellambam Kiran and Thounaojam Premkumar, have been admitted to the RIMS eye ward, while Okram Ingobi, 35, Konthoujam Michael, 20, Hekrujam Herojit, 28, Singam Premananda, 32, Wahengbam Bembem, 14, Singam Singhajit, 18, and Maibam Amar, 14, were admitted at RIMS ortho ward.
Heikrujam Rasheswori, 42, Nambram Somorendro, 19 are in the RIMS surgery ward, Mayengbam Ibethoi, 32, in the RIMS female eye ward, while Thangjam Abung, 20, is being kept in the RIMS casualty for further observation.
Another injured victim is currently at JN hospital while one more is at Shija Hospital.
The bodies of all seven killed in the blast remain unclaimed at RIMS morgue till Monday, but as per the agreement with the JAC, the families would take them on Tuesday.
Outraged women took to the streets of Imphal on Monday to register protest against Sunday’s bomb blast at Pourabi that left seven people dead and dozens of others maimed, even as condemnation of the incident poured in from all directions.
Meanwhile a joint action committee, JAC, has also been formed in connection with the incident, and its representatives on Monday night reached an agreement with the government on assistance to be provided to the families of the dead, as well as the injured victims.
The JAC was formed at a public meeting held at the premises of the Lamjing Meira Sindam Shang, Pourabi, on Monday morning attended by representatives of social and women`s organisations of Keibi, Heikrujam, Sawombung, Uyumpok, and Sagolmang areas.
The meet, which unequivocally condemned the bomb blast as an act of terrorism, also drew up a nine point charter of demands, which included payment of Rs. 3 lakh, provision of white collar job to the next of kin of the dead and payment of Rs 1 lakh compensation to each of the injured. The meet also called on the government to take up repairing of the Sawombung to Pukhao road to avoid affording more opportunities for planting IEDs on the route.
It also demanded that the concerned UG organisation should come forward and acknowledge its responsibility by December 18.
The meet further demanded the construction of a memorial park at the spot by the state government and payment of compensation for the damaged Canter.
It was also resolved that the JAC would organise protest rally and state-wide sit-in protest campaign with support from various social and civil society organisations to prevent such incidents recurring.
A team of state ministers, led by the chief minister in-charge, Th Debendra, including P Parijat, K Ranjit, N Biren and Mohd. Allauddin also attended the public meeting after visiting the injured victims at JN and RIMS hospitals.
Th Debendra, speaking at the gathering, strongly condemned the blast, terming it an act by terrorists, and stressed the need for joint efforts from the public and the government to prevent such activities in the future.
Debendra, who is in charge of the chief minister’s duties, pledged to provide ex-gratia to the bereaved families before the shradha ceremonies and assured adequate assistance for the injured.
He also pledged that security measures will be stepped up to prevent such incidents in the future, and urged the public to cooperate with the government to uproot such anti-social elements from the state/
Later on Monday night, representatives of the JAC met Th Debendra in Imphal and reached an agreement for payment of Rs 1 lakh as ex-gratia to the families of the slain victims, as well as payment of compensation for injured persons as per government norms, to be released at the earliest.
He also pledged that the government would take responsibility for the treatment of the injured persons, and promised to consider the demand for provision of employment to the next of kin sympathetically.
Debendra further assured immediate steps to repair the Sawombung to Pukhao Iranpham road.
Earlier on Monday, the All Manipur Nupi Marup took out a rally in Imphal this afternoon registering their strong condemnation of Sunday’s incident.
The rally, which commenced from Irabot Bhavan at around 3:30 pm proceeded through the Khwairamband bazar area, crossed the BT flyover and continued on to the Kangla Western Gate crossing along the BT road, where they were prevented from proceeding further by the police.
Rallyists shouted slogans denouncing the blast, asking the perpetrators whether they will fulfill their objective by killing innocent people. Placards with slogans like ‘Micham hatlaga nakhoigi pandam phanglagadara’, ‘Paorabi da bomb pokhaihanba yaning de’, ‘Lambida bomb phumbiganu’ were also displayed by the demonstrators.
M Sakhi, vice president, said the Nupi Marup was absolutely against such bomb attacks in public places or on roads frequented by the public. She demanded that the group responsible should immediately clarify or face a public movement against them.
Contending that killing people will not bring peace, she said peace negotiations should be started with the Indian government if more innocents are not to be killed. She also demanded steps on the part of the government to resolve the turmoil in Manipur at the earliest.
Condemnations of the bomb attack on civilian yesterday in Imphal East have poured in even as the Sunday blast victims are struggling at different hospitals in Imphal. Bramacharimayum Sobita of Keibi village in Imphal East is battling for life at the state private premiered Shija hospital. Thirteen injured persons have been treated at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, while seven others have been given treatment at the Jawaharlal Nehru hospital here.
Civil organizations like the Working Committee of Apunba Lub (WCAL); All Manipur United Club Organisation (AMUCO); Communist Party of India (CPI); CPI (M); Paorabi Beneficiary Development and United Committee; Paorabi Yaifa Naharol Kanglup; The Morning Star Club, Yumnam Part IV have strongly come out today against the bomb attack on civilian.
Meanwhile, the All Manipur Nupi Marup (AMNM) has staged a protest demonstration today at Imphal against the blast that occurred yesterday which killed seven civilian including a minor girl. They held the protest by carrying festoons and placard which inscript denouncement of the attack.
On the other hand, source from RIMS hospital identified the victims who are undergoing treatment at the hospital as - Th. Premkumar (32) s/o Th. Ngouba of Keibi in Imphal East (IE), T. Kiran (23) s/o (L) Ibomcha of Keibi in IE, M.Ibethoi (32) d/o Ningthembi of Keibi, O. Ingobi (35) of Sagolmang in IE, S. Premananda (33) of Keibi, K.Michael (20) s/o K.Mohansingh of Keibi, Herojit H (28) s/o Mangi of Uyumpok, W. Bembem (14) d/o Pakpa of Keibi Heikrakmapal, S. Sinhajit (18) s/o (L) Tomba of Keibi, Maibam Amar (24) s/o M. Chaoba of Uyumpok, N. Somendro (19) s/o N. Manihar of Keibi, H. Rasheswore (46) w/o H.Itobi of Keibi, Th. Abung (20) s/o Sanaton of Keibi.
Victims who are being treated at JN Hospital could not be identified as yet. But hospital source confirmed the number of Sunday blast victims as seven.
At the same time, around 500 strong crowds gathered today at the Lamjing Meira School ground, few meters away from Sunday blast site and formed a joint action committee (JAC) against Pourabi Huidrom Bomb blast with representatives of civil organisations like the Threatened Indigenous People Society (TIPS). The gathering also observed one minute silence to pay tribute to the departed Sunday blast victims.
The JAC has decided to demand compensation of Rs.3 lakh each to all the death victims, one lakh each to the injured victims. It also proposes to establish a trust by constructing a memorial park for the victims at the site. It also resolved not to claim the death bodies till an agreement is reached between the JAC and the government over their demands. Apart from that, it threatened to take up various forms of agitations.
Source: The Imphal Free Press
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