Normal life has been affected in Manipur on the first day of the 48 hours bandh called by six students’ bodies of Manipur on Thursday. However there is no report of any untoward incidents till the filing of the report.
The students bodies-All Manipur Students’ Union, Manipuri Students Federation, Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur, Kangleipak Students Association, Students’ Union of Kangleipak and Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpanglup, called the bandh demanding unconditional and immediate release of all the arrested students and teachers of Manipur University besides demanding immediate withdrawal of the security forces from University campus to bring normalcy.
They also denounced the police action at the boy’s hostels of the university at Canchipur near Imphal in the intervening night of September 20 and 21.
The bandh which started from the midnight of September 26 was effective in the greater Imphal area. In view of the bandh, the roads in Imphal wore a desolate look from dawn to dusk after transport services were suspended for the day despite the state’s directive to maintain transport operations during the bandh. Though the private offices, besides educational institutions, markets, shops and business establishments, remained closed for the day, the state secretariat, deputy commissioner’s office in Imphal remained open with few visitors.
On the eve of the bandh, the state chief secretary had directed the administrative secretaries and head of departments to ensure attendance in all the offices and subordinate offices during 48 hour bandh.
As per the government’s directive, the district police made public announcement using loudspeakers to open the shops and business establishment in the city. But the shops remained closed.
But the strike did not affect the normal functioning of the Imphal International Airport and had no impact in most of the hill district headquarters, reports said. However the inter-district and inter- state transport services has been suspended. Meanwhile necessary security measures have been taken up at many strategic locations in the state capital to prevent any untoward incidents during the course of the bandh which is scheduled to continue till midnight of September 28.