Normal life hit amid first day of 48-hour shutdown in Manipur

Imphal: Burning of tyres in the middle of roads, road blockades, sit-in protests, torchlight rallies, normal flight service continuance, students rushing to the exam halls, emergency services, and religious ceremonies were seen on the first day of the 48-hour general strike on the state on Friday.

The bandh called by a coalition of 13 outfits demanding the unconditional release of three arrested persons of the United National Liberation Front, (P) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) crippled normal life in the valley districts.

The strike supporters dispersed women market traders in Imphal city at around 7 am on Friday and then the city wore a deserted look.

All shops and business establishments in Imphal city and various district headquarters in the valley districts downed the shutters to support the strike.

The bandh supporters destroyed three vehicles plying on the roads in Bishnupur and Kakching districts.

At Thamnapokpi near Moirang bazaar, tyres were burnt in the middle of the roads in the presence of the central security convoy.

A sit-in protest was organized at Lalambung in Imphal West. Due to the agitation of the bandh supporters, the matric exams at Sagolmang High School Center were delayed for around 7 minutes. Nocturnal torch rallies were seen at Sagolmang in Imphal East.

Manipur has been cut off from the rest of the country by roads though the flight services continued as usual. All educational institutes except exam centres remained closed.

The strike began at midnight on Thursday and will continue until Saturday midnight. Spearheaded by the Federation of Civil Society Organizations (FOCS) Manipur, the strike was called by a coalition of 13 Civil Social Organisations across the state to demand the release of the arrested persons without any preconditions.