Dawn to dusk 13 hour bandh ends peacefully
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 28, 2011: The dawn to dusk bandh called by the United Committee Manipur (UCM) as part of their boycott to the visit of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio partially crippled life in parts of Manipur.

The bandh which commenced from 5 am ended at 6 pm.

However, the bandh affected movement of vehicles transporting people from Ukhrul heading for Senapati to attend the NPF launching ceremony.

The vehicles faced disturbances from bandh supporters at Yaingangpokpi on NH 150 and at Sekmai on NH 39. Decrying the blocking of the vehicles, the Tangkhul Ngana Long has imposed an indefinite bandh along the Imphal-Ukhrul section of NH 150 with effect from 1 pm.

They alleged that vehicles carrying people from Ukhrul were damaged.

Police reports also said that bandh supporters took to the street at Sekmai and Lamlai area and blocked movement of all types of vehicles.

In some instances, they stoned vehicles for violating the bandh.

Police, however, said that after they intervened all Senapati-bound vehicles were allowed to proceed.

Owing to the bandh, most of the shops and business establishments in Imphal and its outskirts were forced to close for the day.

The traffic volume in the city was also reduced.

Passenger service and other commercial vehicles were off the road for the day.

While life in Imphal areas remained normal, it came to a standstill in some rural areas of Imphal East and West districts.

But the bandh had little impact in the other two valley districts of Thoubal and Bishnupur.

Except for the non-service of inter-district buses and other vehicles, the bandh had no impact on the hill districts, reports collected from the districts headquarters revealed.

The bandh was called by the UCM as part of its boycott of the visit of Nagaland's Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio in Senapati district to launch the NPF Manipur unit today.

The body alleged that the launching of the NPF's Manipur unit is a part of various strategies to break the territorial integrity of Manipur and a part of the NSCN-IM strategy to disintegrate Manipur.

The Nagaland CM's proposed visit to Senapati came at a time when the state was preparing to observe the June 2011 uprising and the visit was tantamount to instigating and heightening tension among the communities in the state, the UCM asserted.

At the same time UCM said, if the Nagaland CM was on a normal visit, the UCM would have been extended a warm welcome but as there is a hidden agenda behind his visit, the UCM therefore had decided to boycott him and his entourage.

Comment