Newmai News Network
Imphal: Normal life was disrupted in strife-hit Manipur on Friday owing to total shutdowns by various armed rebel groups, boycotting India’s Republic Day.
Various armed rebel groups including the Coordination Committee (CorCom) of five revolutionary major armed groups, imposed the total shutdowns, boycotting the celebration of Republic Day in the state.
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Shops and other business establishments remained closed and transport remained off the roads during the bandhs.
A sharp reduction in traffic volumes was witnessed on almost all the main roads including national highways as almost all the commercial vehicles including long and short distance passenger service vehicles stayed off the road for the day.
The streets across the capital city and other district headquarters in valley areas wore a deserted look as only few private vehicles plied on the day.
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All the fuel pumps remained closed for the day.
However, a few vegetable vendors were seen selling their stuff on the streets near the major markets in Imphal, hours ahead of the end of the total shutdown at 6 pm.
No untoward incident related to the shutdown strikes was reported from any part of the state, the police said.
While the government was celebrating the day in state and district levels across the state, a group of women in black attire carried out a rally on the streets in Singjamei area of Imphal, holding black flags in their hands.
Earlier, civil society organisations like the Thawai Meerel and Protection and Preservation Committee, Manipur (PPCM) had urged people to hoist or display black flags on Republic Day as a mark of showing resentment over the manner in which the Centre dealt with the ongoing over eight months old crisis.
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While announcing the boycott to the celebration of the day, six students’ bodies of the state ((MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK, AIMS and AMSU) had appealed to the people, particularly the student community, to stay away from attending the celebration in any way.
In a joint statement, the students’ bodies had further urged the people to put up black flags at every household to observe the day as a mourning day.
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