Floral tributes on PLA 'martyrs' day'

IMPHAL, April 14: Floral tributes were paid at various memorial sites of RPF/PLA on its Martyrs' Day yesterday. Relatives, friends and wellwishers paid floral tributes to their dear ones at many memorial sites including Kodompokpi and Cheiraoching. The banned outfit has been observing Martyrs Day every year in honour of its cadres killed. Security personnel were deployed in large numbers at Cheiraoching memorial site, which had already been dismantled by the Government. The memorial site at Cheiraoching was occupied by the police and a makeshift Shiva temple was erected apparently by the police a few meters away. The temple was also manned by the police. Tents were also erected at the place of the dismantled memorial site and some police officers could be seen resting inside the tent yesterday. A large number of people paid floral tributes at the memorial site. Buses coming from far off places drove bumper to bumper at Thangmeiband road leading to the memorial site yesterday. Police officers who were present at the site told reporters that the police did not prohibit anyone from offering floral tributes at the site. Meanwhile the RPF has expressed gratitude to the NGOs, student bodies and voluntary clubs who paid floral-tributes at the memorial site of the outfit on Cheirao Ching yesterday. Stating that the RPF will forever remember the gesture of the people, the outfit in a statement issued by the Asst Publicity Secy Lily Leima said that the trust and faith shown by the people will not be betrayed.