Manipur’s iconic all-women market reopens after 11 months

By Sujit Chakraborty Imphal/Agartala, Feb 16 : World’s largest all-women-run market ‘Ima Keithal’ or the ‘Mother’s Market’, located in the Manipur state capital, was formally reopened on Monday after 11 months, bringing smile on the faces of over 3,600 women traders.
The market, which has a history of over 500 years, was closed on March 21, 2020, as a preventive measure amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who was the chief guest at the reopening, announced that women vendors of the market would be exempted from the vendor’s license fee for the year.
“The government took the decision considering the hardship faced by the women vendors during the pandemic as the markets remained closed for nearly a year,” he said.
Singh also appealed to the women vendors to allot a day to the government once in a month for maintenance and cleaning work of the market area.
“Extremely glad to re-open Ima Keithel, Imphal from today with Covid situation significantly improving.