Jiribam: Normal life in the violence-hit Jiribam district of Manipur came to a standstill on Saturday as a 48-hour general strike called by the Jiri United Committee took effect.
The strike, which began at 6 AM, has brought the district, already at the epicenter of the ongoing ethnic clashes, to a halt.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Key demands of the Jiri United Committee include justice for the abduction of six individuals from the Meitei community and increased deployment of state forces at critical locations like Chotobekre outpost, Makhabosti, and Jirimuk.
On the first day of the strike, shops, businesses, banks, and educational institutions remained closed. Vehicular traffic, especially for private vehicles, was minimal on the district’s roads. Over 300 goods-laden trucks en route to Imphal from Assam‘s Silchar were stranded in Jiribam.
The strike has received widespread support from various civil society organizations, including the All Jiribam United Clubs Association (AJUCA), Jiri Development Organisation (JDO), COCOMI Jiribam, Apunba Jiribam Meira Paibi (AJMP), Jiri Ima Meira Paibi Apunba Lup (JIMPAL), AMSU, DESAM, and KSA.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
A candlelight vigil was held at the Jana Neta Irabot Memorial Complex on Friday night, marking the prelude to the strike.
H Priyananda, convenor of the Jiri United Committee, expressed disappointment with local MLA Md Ashab Uddin’s inability to address the situation and called for his accountability.
Essential services such as media, healthcare, water supply, fire services, and religious functions have been exempted from the strike.