In the recent past all the students protests and movements have shared one thing in common even if they were for different causes. All are repressed by the state with an iron fist and it seems as if the state has become extremely allergic to any kind of dissent. The recent case of Police brutality against the Manipuri students protesting against 3 contentious bills including the Inner Permit Line matter that has been brewing trouble in Manipur for the last year. The students had gathered outside the Manipur Bhawan and demanded a hearing with the CM Okram Ibobi Singh visiting the capital.
While the CM refused to come out of the Manipur Bhawan to address the very people he is under oath to represent. The students were attacked by the stationed Police, the Manipuri rifles and the CRPF deployed allegedly pelted stones at the protesters gathered outside Manipur Bhawan. They were brutally beaten and manhandled. The female protesters were molested by the Police, Later they were rounded up and taken to Chanakyapuri Police station.
Disha strongly and unequivocally condemns the Police brutality on the students outside Manipur Bhawan. Such incidents have started to become commonplace which is a reminder that we live in a state of emergency which apparen tly looks like a democracy just untill you decide to raise your voice against the existing order of things.
Such incidents should not only be condemned in the strongest words but we should also organize ourselves against all such attacks.