The Village Defence Force (VDF) personnel in Thoubal district of Manipur took to the streets and staged a massive protest, holding placards at ‘Hayel Labuk Lampak’ on Friday against government apathy over their long-pending demands.
The placards read, “Service without Security is Injustice”; “Recognise VDF, Regularise VDF”; “Government Apathy Forcing VDF to Strike”; and “No Right, No Duty,” which the demonstrators held during the protest.
The protest was organised to press the State Government to address the long-standing demands of VDF personnel, which have remained unresolved for years, the Vice President of the Thoubal District VDF Welfare Association, L. Suresh Meitei, informed the media.
He stated that due to the continued neglect and failure of the government to take any concrete steps, VDF personnel across the state have been compelled to launch an indefinite “gun-down and pen-down” strike. As part of this agitation, today’s protest was held to urge the authorities to fulfil their genuine demands.
Suresh Meitei further informed that, as per the decision of the Central Committee, a massive rally will be organised in Imphal on January 16, in which more than 2,000 VDF personnel from Thoubal district alone are expected to participate.
He emphasised that the demands raised by the VDF are legitimate and are rooted in the principles enshrined in Article 39(d) of the Indian Constitution, which advocates equal pay for equal work for both men and women. He questioned why the State Government continues to ignore constitutional provisions related to service matters.
Stating that peace and stability cannot be ensured by ignoring the grievances of those working at the grassroots level of security, he said that unresolved issues and injustice could lead to unrest. “We do not want to disturb peace. It is the responsibility of the State Government to maintain peace by addressing our demands,” he added.
The protest concluded peacefully, with VDF personnel reiterating their resolve to continue their agitation until their demands are met.
