Imphal, September 11: Intensifying its stir to earmark 10 percent job reservation for minority Meitei Pangals (Manipuri Muslims), the All Manipur Muslim Students� Organization (AMMSO) has called an indefinite economic blockade along the two National Highways with effect from today midnight followed by a four day general strike from midnight of September 14.Speaking to reporters today AMMSO general secretary Md Anuwar Hussain said that they have been compelled to resort to such extreme steps as the SPF Government has failed to heed the long standing and legitimate demands of the minority Pangal community.

Earlier different forms of agitation were undertaken in a democratic manner including wearing of black badges by Muslim students, staging of sit-in-protest at different places, closing of various Government offices and boycotting of SPF Government to persuade the State Government to fulfil the legitimate demands, Hussain stated.

Recalling that in March this year the State Assembly passed the Manipur State Commission for Other Backward Classes Bill, he asserted that, in quite an abnormal practice, the Bill was dispatched to the President for his assent rather than to the Governor thereby wasting four month's time.

The decision of the State Government to re-introduce the Manipur State Commission for Other Backward Classes (Amendment) Bill 2006 � in the forthcoming Assembly session scheduled to begin from Friday is nothing but making a mockery of the public and the State Assembly itself, Hussain alleged.

While questioning the logic and motive behind the proposed re-introduction of the Bill in the Assembly, he asked whether the State Government had failed to seek advice from the Advocate General or from the Law Secretary before introducing the Bill in the last Assembly session.

He construed that the motive behind the re-introduction of the Bill was nothing but to put off the Bill indefinitely.

Elucidating the rationale of their demands, the student leader said that Chief Minister RK Priyabarta, who was once the Chief Minister of the State had in 1993 recognised the inevitability of providing job reservation to the Manipuri Muslims whose population has today crossed 8 lakhs.

In December 1957 former MP Suisa also put forward the same matter before the Parliament.

Since the student body has socially boycotted the SPF Government, no legislators have been invited to any functions organised by Meitei Pangals nor �will we join any programme organized by the State�, he asserted.

While appealing to the people to extend solidarity towards the plight of the minority Muslims and to support the strike, Hussain said that AMMSO volunteers across the State have made all preparations to enforce their course of agitation successfully.

He further appealed to the Government to immediately release all the arrested leaders of civil society organisations who have been fighting for the cause of the people.

Meanwhile, AMMSO Santhel Branch has burnt the effigy of Chief Minister O Ibobi while those of Speaker Dr Maniruddin Sheikh, MOBC Minister Md Alaudin Khan and MLA Md Abdul were buried in a mock cremation.

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