Imphal, October 11 2009: A general strike which would be effective from 1 am of October 15 to 5.30 pm of the same day has been called by the Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), the umbrella body of major underground organsations to register an unambiguous public protest against the annexation of Manipur by the Union of India.

A statement of the body said that MPLF has been observing October 15 as a National Black Day to register its protest against the execution of the Manipur Merger Agreement 1949 for the last 10 year.

During the period of the general strike, no vehicles should ply on the roads.

All office works, businesses, cinema and other occupation must come to a halt.

It however added that essential services such as medical, water supply, electricity etc would not come under the purview of the strike.

It is a well known fact all that people of Manipur are living under the colonial rule without getting the meaning of life for the last 60 years since the execution of the Manipur Merger Agreement, a document which the then King of Manipur, Bodh Chandra signed under duress on October 15, 1949 at Shillong where he was kept under "house arrest".

Since then, the statement added people are shocking in their minds.

Remembering the day and with the notion that "We are not Indian and Manipur is not a part of India", the statement appealed the people to extend support to the general strike called by the MPLF.

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