Imphal: Normal life across Manipur came to a near-total halt on Saturday as a 24-hour general strike enforced by a coalition of several proscribed underground outfits disrupted Independence Day celebrations and marked a boycott of the 80th Independence Day.
The shutdown, which began at midnight on August 14, was spearheaded by the Coordination Committee (CorCom) and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)-Apunba, among other groups.
In response to the boycott, state authorities stepped up security measures. Heavily armed police and paramilitary personnel were deployed at strategic junctions, sensitive areas and public places across the valley districts. Security arrangements were particularly tight in Imphal, where the state-level Independence Day celebrations were held.
The strike severely affected commercial activity and public movement, with major markets, shops and private commercial establishments remaining closed amid security concerns.
Public roads in Imphal and other district headquarters were largely deserted, while commercial transport operators, auto-rickshaws and private vehicles remained off the roads.
Retail fuel outlets across the valley also remained closed, affecting normal transportation. Security patrols and convoys carrying personnel were among the few vehicles seen on major roads.
However, the groups that called the strike exempted essential services from the shutdown. Emergency medical services, pharmacies, fire services, water supply, media operations and religious ceremonies were allowed to continue.
The shutdown reflected the continued opposition of underground groups to Manipur’s merger with the Indian Union in 1949.
The former princely state signed the Merger Agreement with India in October 1949, and groups opposing the merger have continued to organise strikes and other forms of protest over Manipur’s political status.