A Northeast cycle tour to be conducted by a lone Manipuri girl was Wednesday flagged off by state social welfare minister AK Meerabai from Imphal’s Palace Compound. Young and energetic Sougaijam Bidyalaxmi Leima’s lone cycle tour aims to touch all the northeast states of the country was with a message “Stop crimes against women and children” to the seven north-eastern states, Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Arunchal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura. She is a resident of Jiribam, Manipur’s town at the border with Assam and Tonaojit Khangembam of Imphal’s Keishamthong will assist her during her tour.
A leaflet to be distributed during her made available at the flag-off function asserted that without ‘woman’ no human civilization will exist.
“A society will develop when man and woman equally developed. We should stop crime against women who is the backbone of the society,” it added.
Addressing at the flag-off function, social welfare minister Ak Meerabai maintained that the cycle rally would definitely help in reducing the increasing crime committed on women.
The courage and spirit of Bidyapati Leima to spread the message against the increasing crime committed against women and children and to spread the awareness of negative impacts and influences of such crimes should be lauded by all, she added.
Women leaders of several women based bodies took part in the ceremony which the minister extended financial assistance of Rs 20,000 in her tour.