Normal life has been severely affected in Manipur capital on Wednesday after Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU) called a 48 hour general strike from July 17 midnight.
The strike will conclude on July 19 midnight.
The general strike was very effective in the greater Imphal area and other districts after major students’ and womenfolk’s organizations besides local clubs supported the movement in the state.
At many strategic junctions, the strike supporters comprising mostly women came out in groups to enforce the bandh. Security forces were also deployed at various locations to control the law and order situation.
The roads in the state capital and other adjoining areas wore a deserted look after transport services were suspended for the day. As a result, most of the government and private offices, besides educational institutions, markets, shops and business establishments, remained closed for the day.
But the strike did not affect the normal functioning of Imphal airport. There is also no report of any unwanted incident till the filing of the report.
The ongoing strike of MUSU entered 50th day on Wednesday as the student body launched total shutdown of the university since May 30 with the only demand to remove Professor Pandey from his post on alleged financial and administrative irregularities.
Supporting the movement, Manipur University Teachers Association (MUTA) and Manipur University Staffs Association(MUTA) in association with MUSU intensified the agitation and launched relay hunger strike from July 9 at MU gate at Canchipur.
Even though the central authority issued order to conduct enquiry into the allegation made against the Vice Chancellor Prof Pandey by reconstituting the already formed Fact Finding Committee(FFC),the agitators said they want removal of VC.
President M Dayaman of MUSU told the media here that they’ll continue to take up other forms of agitation if the authorities fail to fulfill their demands.
MUTA, MUSU and MUSA also still sticks to their stand and continues to demand removal of Prof Pandey from his position.
It may be mentioned that retired Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court T Nandakumar was inducted as chairperson of the FFC with JK Tripathi, Joint Secretary UGC and Surat Singh, Deputy Secretary Higher Education MHRD as members for the enquiry ,according to government sources.