Moreh bandh total, trade activities hit hard
Source: The Sangai Express
Moreh/Imphal, January 15 2013:
Life was paralyzed at Moreh today due to the bandh called against the bomb attack at the house of Jangmang Haokip, president of Hill Tribal Council (HTC) yesterday.
A large number of womenfolk came out on the street and locked Gate number 2 on the Moreh-Namphalong border, the focal point of the country's ambitious Look East Policy today at 10 am and staged a sit-in-protest.
Shoppers who had gone to Namphalong early in the morning were allowed to return to Moreh only after 6 pm, after the bandh hour.
A large number of people and traders from Imphal who had already landed at Moreh for their business and holiday were stranded there.
Besides severely affecting the Indo-Myanmar commercial activities, the bandh also hit cross border business as the otherwise busy Namphalong bazar in Myanmar located adjacent to Moreh town was deserted for the day.
Over ninety percent of the customers at Namphalong are Indians.
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Various civil bodies, quoting eyewitnesses' account, said the perpetrators escaped through the no man's land towards Namphalong side in Myanmar after tossing the grenade.
Moreh public belonging to different civil bodies based at the border town, besides holding a protest rally also submitted a memorandum to the sub-division's additional deputy commissioner and sub-divisional police officer yesterday.
The five point memorandum, signed by representatives of 14 civil organisations of Moreh, besides condemning the bomb attack in the strongest term urged the authorities concerned to seal the Indo-Myanmar border until foolproof security is put in place by the State Government and the Centre.
The memorandum also demanded the perpetrators of the act to clarify the motive behind the bomb attack through the media and also urged the authorities concerned to arrest the culprits and give them befitting punishment.
The memorandum also appealed to all concerned to desist from any activity that may disturb the peace and tranquility of the place.
No group has claimed responsibly for the attack till the time of filing this report.