IMPHAL: A state-wide 24-hour shutdown in Manipur, called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to demand justice for the killing of a youth on December 14, disrupted normal life, particularly in the capital, on Saturday.
The shutdown, which began at 6pm on December 27, will continue until 6pm on December 28.
On December 14, Manipur Police commandos reportedly killed 16-year-old Laishram Priyam and arrested six others during a gunfight at Salungpham Maning Leikai in Thoubal district. The deceased, who was shot near Salungpham High School, later succumbed to his injuries at Raj Medicity Hospital in Imphal, officials reported.
The JAC have also demanded the release of six persons who were arrested on the same day.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), including its Students’ Front and Women’s Wing, has also extended support to the shutdown.
The shutdown brought Imphal, as well as other areas of the state, to a standstill, with passenger vehicles off the roads.
Shops in major markets, including Paona Bazar, Thangal Bazar, MG Avenue, and the iconic Nupi Keithel (Women’s Market)—all in the heart of Imphal town—remained closed. So did other peripheral markets such as Singjamei, Lamlong, Kwakeithel, and Tera.
{{/usCountry}}Shops in major markets, including Paona Bazar, Thangal Bazar, MG Avenue, and the iconic Nupi Keithel (Women’s Market)—all in the heart of Imphal town—remained closed. So did other peripheral markets such as Singjamei, Lamlong, Kwakeithel, and Tera.
{{/usCountry}}The functioning of state, central, and private offices, as well as business establishments, was also affected during the shutdown, and all educational institutions remained closed.
However, essential services, including media, were exempted from the purview of the general strike.
Also Read: Kukis add conditions for Meitei hostages’ release; shutdown paralyses Imphal
No unwanted incidents have been reported during the course of the strike as of the filing of this report.
The COCOMI Students’ Front, in a statement, said that government is cracking down on volunteers who came out voluntarily to defend Meitei villages. Meanwhile, the COCOMI Women’s Wing expressed full support for the bandh called by the JAC in connection with the Salungpham incident.
On Friday, sit-ins were staged at various locations across the state, including Salungpham in Thoubal district, to denounce the killing and the arrest of village volunteers.