Imphal, December 15 2010: On being assured by visiting Union Home minister P Chindabaram today, the Committee for the Protection of Tribal Areas, Manipur (CoPTAM) has provisionally suspended its proposed 60-hour general strike in the hill areas of Manipur.

Leaders of the tribal rights body today met the Union Home minister while he was inspecting the Khuga Dam in Churachandpur and apprised him of the demands being raised by CoPTAM.

A copy of the memorandum was also handed over to the Union Home minister urging him to intervene in the logjam between CoPTAM and the State government on various issues pertaining to the rights of tribals in Manipur.

After hearing the grievances of the tribal body, Union Home minister P Chidambaram appealed to the striking body to call off the bandh, assuring that he will personally intervene to take up the matter with the State government.

Following the assurance given by the Union Home minister, CoPTAM has decided to suspend provisionally the proposed 60-hour general strike which was to start 5 pm today, information and publicity wing of CoPTAM has conveyed.

It is worth mentioning that the 60-hour general strike was proposed following the pending demands of the tribal body on issues ranging from overlapping census, redrawing of Jiribam district, "imposed" urbanization in Moreh, State government's proposed IRB battalion in Vangai and proposed rehabilitation of KCP (Lallumba) at Leikun in Chandel district among others.

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