File image of shutdown in Manipur

Three banned militant groups – Coordination Committee (CorCom), National Liberation Front of Twipra (NLFT) and the Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK) have called for statewide bandh on October 15 to protest against ‘forced merger’ of Tripura and Manipur into the Indian Union.

While NLFT and ASUK have called in for a 12-hour bandh from 5 am to 5 pm, CorCom has called for statewide bandh for 18 hours, starting from Monday midnight till Tuesday.

NLFT president H Uastwng Borok and ASUK chairman N Oken have stated about the proposed shutdown through a statement released to the media.

The Coordination Committee, in its statement, said it has been observing October 15 as ‘National Black Day’ since the past years in order to protest against the Manipur Merger Agreement signed between Maharaja Bodhachandra of Manipur and the Government of India in Shillong.

The agreement dates back to October 15, 1949.

However, the groups have refrained from blocking religious, medical, media and emergency services during the proposed statewide bandh. These services will function even during the bandh on October 15.

NLFT and ASUK have termed the day as dark period in the history of Tripura and Manipur.