Imphal, March 5: Manipur police today foiled an attempt to hold a demonstration against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act at the western gate of the historical Kangla Fort here.

The demonstration was jointly planned by the Amnesty International, India, and a local group called People?s Rights Organisation.

The two human rights watchdogs had planned to form a peaceful human chain along National Highway 39 on the western side of Kangla Fort at 11.30 am in favour of their demand for repeal of the act. Hundreds of demonstrators, mostly students, gathered on the campus of nearby D.M. College before marching towards the western gate of the fort. They carried a banner demanding repeal of the act.

The police, however, stopped the demonstrators in front of Gandhi Memorial Auditorium near the Kangla gate. The security personnel told the demonstrators to turn back because the area was under prohibitory orders. No violence was reported.

Adequate security measures were put in place by the district magistrate fearing trouble. A large number of armed police personnel were deployed. A water cannon was also kept ready. The demonstration was planned against the backdrop of a central review committee looking into the provisions of the act. The review committee recently toured the northeastern states where the act is applicable to elicit public opinion.

W. Munindro, chief executive officer of the People?s Rights Organisation, criticised the Okram Ibobi Singh government for not allowing the peaceful demonstration today. ?As a committee is looking into the act, the people have the right to express their views on it. Does the government want to apply the act further against the wishes of the people?? he asked.

Munindro, who is also a member of the Amnesty International India, said today?s demonstration was planned as part of a campaign launched by the organisation in different parts of the country.

Meitei script

Supporters of the Meitei language have set March 10 as the new deadline for the Manipuri dailies here to replace the Bengali script on their front page. The Meitei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup set the fresh deadline yesterday after the dailies, barring one, failed to comply with their earlier deadline of March 1.

The organisation has threatened to launch blockades if the government does not announce its script policy in the next few days. The editors and publishers have not issued their official reaction to the fresh deadline, but are likely to convene a joint meeting before the deadline ends.

In a related development, the Hueiyen Lanpao, a popular language daily, started using the Meitei script on its front page, but repeated them all in Bengali script on the third page.