Manipur barbers face extortion threats, decide to pull shutters down

Amid the violence, small businesses and daily wage earners, including barbers in capital city Imphal are facing another challenge – extortion threats. The situation is so bad that most barbers in the city was left with no option but pull down their shutters.

The extortion demands range from Rs 50,000 to a whopping Rs five lakh.

This has come as a double blow to the barbers, particularly the small one who earn on a daily basis, and were trying to recover from the hit their businesses took due to the violence in the state since May last year.

“We don’t want any trouble with anyone, but the demands were too much for us,” said MBA general secretary Papur Thakur while speaking to Northeast Live.

“We want to help them, but the amount they have asked for is beyond our capacity,” he added.

As per reports, most financial demands are made to the non-local barbers operating in the state, especially in the Imphal area.

Meanwhile, the Manipur Barbers’ Association (MBA) at its meeting at Thau Ground in Thangmeiband recently urged those making the extortion demands not to put undue pressure on them as there was no way they could fulfil them.

Also Read: Manipur: DM University authorities appeal students to call off hunger strike, says Registrar, Controller to be appointed soon