Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 25 2010:
A dawn to dusk general strike called by the United Naga Council (UNC) Manipur crippled normal life across three Naga dominated hill districts today.
UNC called the strike in the three districts of Chandel, Tamenglong and Ukhrul drawing attention of the Central government to expedite the ongoing Indo-Naga peace process.
However, Senapati district was kept outside the purview of the general strike.
The UNC did not give any reason behind Senapati being kept outside the purview of the bandh but a rally is being organised tomorrow (Tuesday) in the district headquarters on the same issue.
The general strike began from this morning at 6 am today and concluded at 6 pm peacefully, reports received from district headquarters said.
Police said that no untoward incident was reported during the strike hour.
The strike led to the closure of all shops and business establishments, academic institutions and markets.
All kinds of passenger services in the three districts stay off the road for the day.
Inter-district buses and other commercial vehicles also stayed off the roads for the day due to fear of attack by strike supporters if they violated the strike .
Daily commuters faced difficulty to reach their destinations as vehicular movement was brought to a grinding halt.
However, movement of vehicles of security personnel and other essential services were not disturbed.
The peace talks, now on halt, due to reported health condition of NSCN(IM) general secretary Th Muivah is likely to resume at the earliest.
Union home secretary GK Pillai during his recent four day visit in the state had revealed that the process is paused because of Muivah's indisposed condition and in hospital.
The interlocutor is also in American to be with his daughter.
A highly reliable source from New Delhi today said that with health condition of Muivah improving, the peace talk is likely to resume at the earliest.
Muivah has been discharged from the hospital where he was admitted, the source added.