Newmai News Network
Imphal: The Manipur bandh called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed in connection with the disappearance of two teenagers to show resentment over the government’s failure to trace the missing teenagers passed peacefully on Saturday.
The 33-hour bandh called by the JAC ended today at 1 pm. No untoward incident related to the strike was reported on the second and last day.
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With the end of the strike at 1 pm, life returned to normalcy with shops and other commercial establishments in Imphal and other major towns across the five valley districts reopening. Vehicular movement also resumed to normalcy soon after the end of the strike.
Earlier, in the morning, the streets across the twin capital districts – Imphal East and Imphal West – were deserted as only a few vehicles, mostly related to essential services, police and security forces, plied on the roads.
Shops and other commercial establishments were also closed till 1 pm despite the deployment of a large number of police and security personnel in sensitive areas across the twin capital districts.
However, normal business at the Khwairamband Keithel including all-women-run markets did not resume with only a few vendors turned to do their business of the day. Many shops and business establishments also remained closed even after the end of the strike.
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Similar situations were reported in other valley districts – Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching.
Strike supporters came out on the roads in large numbers and enforced the bandh by blocking roads in their respective areas until the end of the strike.
The JAC imposed the bandh while expressing strong resentment over the state government’s inaction to trace the two missing students.
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The two teenage students – Maibam Avinash (16) and Ningthoujam Anthony (19), both from Akham Leikai of Imphal West district – disappeared after they went to Sekmai to attend a meeting on November 5 last.
On the next day of the missing, their mobile phones were recovered from a place. The police have also arrested two persons as suspects in the missing case.
Meanwhile, womenfolk continued to stage sit-in-protests demanding tracing the whereabouts of the two missing students in various parts of Imphal.
At one of the protests staged a sit-in-protest at Kwakeithel Bazar, a woman leader questioned why the state government could not trace the whereabouts of the two missing students even as the police claimed to have arrested two suspects.
Talking to reporters, she alleged that being unable to find the missing two students showed that there is no longer a government in the state.
In the prevailing situation, there is no option among the valley people except to take extra care of themselves to save their lives as none of the government authorities dare to safeguard the lives of the people.
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During the protest, placards read “We want justice,” “Find the missing students and hand them over to family,” “We condemn abduction of students,” etc were displayed.
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