Lamphel vendors condemn separate Mao market construction decision at Lamphel

Pothashang News Service

Imphal, November 28: Lamphel Super Market Development Joint Committee, a committee of vendors at Lamphel market has condemned the chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh’s recent announcement to construct a separate market at Lamphel for the Mao community of Senapati district as Mao Market.

The chief minister made the announcement to construct Mao Market at Lamphel market area at the cost of Rs 1-2 crore soon, at the inaugural function of the 3rd Flower Festival cum Manipur 1st Cherry Blossom Festival held at Kayinu Village, Mao Gate, Senapati on Saturday.

The agitating vendors largely women marched towards the chief minister’s office. Police stopped them on the way near Nupi Lal Memorial Complex. Representatives of the development committee were allowed to table their memorandum to the chief minister’s office.

The memorandum strongly condemned the chief minister’s decision to construct separate Mao Market at Lamphel Super Market in Imphal West.

It said the development joint committee would appreciate if the government takes up step to construct market for every community. It also appealed to construct temporary market during the construction of markets of all communities.

About a total of 800 vegetable vendors and business runners are running the Lamphel market under the sky. The development committee has been urging the government to construct a new market complex in tandem with the planned Mao Market at Lamphel.

The memorandum also urged the chief minister to provide license and necessary documents to the vendors at Lamphel.

The vegetables vendors from Mao come to Nagmapal in the Manipur capital Imphal on Tuesdays and Fridays after their market was shifted earlier this month when the Southern Angamis of Nagaland launched a blockade against their community on June 23, 2015. The Southern Angamis of Nagaland imposed the blockade after the Maos opposed the construction of a road by Nagaland in the Manipur portion of Dzukou Valley along the Manipur-Nagaland border.

Due to traffic congestion at Nagamapal the Mao vendors shifted their market at Lamphel Supermarket and Tera Keithel. Some of them are still selling vegetables and fruits at Nagamapal.

Biren Singh acknowledged the pains and sufferings of the Mao people in the search of market for selling their products when he made the announcement at the flower festival launching.

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