Triple bandh brings Manipur to a standstill

Imphal | July 17 : Over 12 people were injured in the Manipur valley and as many as ten passenger buses and two trucks were damaged by bandh and blockade supporters in the hill districts of Manipur today. Normal life was badly affected today in all the districts, both hills and the valley of Manipur due to the “triple effect” of the bandh and the economic blockade called by Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Indigenous Democratic Front (IDF) and All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) respectively on different issues. In the first case, at least eight people were injured in two separate incidents owing to violence perpetuated by supporters of the general strike called by DESAM.
According to police sources, two auto rickshaws were set ablaze by some miscreants in Yairipok Changamdabi, Thoubal district on July 16. Another Auto-rickshaw was set ablaze on Friday at Pourabi, Imphal East district injuring six people. In the incident at Pourabi, 7 kilometers away from Lamlai police station, one passenger auto (MN01R2889) was set ablaze by the strike supporters while the auto was carrying a patient to the hospital.
Bandh supporters set ablaze yet another auto rickshaw on Friday at 2:30 pm in Nambol Sabal Leikai, Bishenpur district. All the markets in Bishenpur district were closed due to the general strike while all passenger vehicles were off the road. However a few private vehicles were seen plying on the road. The general strike also disrupted normal life in the greater Imphal area. Almost all shops were closed as also inter district and inter state buses were off the road. Traffic was thin in the streets of Imphal where only vehicles of security personnel and some private vehicles were seen plying in and around greater Imphal area. Traffic police were seen at some traffic points in the forenoon but not in the afternoon.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Imphal West, L. Kailun had appealed to the public that the general strike called by DESAM was illegal and unreasonable. He had informed that the security measurement had been tightened and therefore all business establishments, offices can be opened just as on normal days. However, despite all the efforts from the government to disregard the general strike, most of the shops remained closed while attendance in government offices and educational institutions were less than normal.
The United Tata Magic Vehicle Owners Association has appealed for the bandh called by DESAM to be called off. They stated that their vehicles were purchased through financial loans and the strike had disrupted their day to day earning making it hard for them to pay back the loans in time. DESAM had called 120-hour general strike from July 15 demanding the release of the five students detained under National Security Act in connection to the killing of Prof. Islamuddin, proctor, Manipur University (MU) on May 25.
However, the 120-hour strike called by DESAM has been shortened till the midnight of July 18 keeping in view the inconveniences faced by the students and the public, a press statement issued by DESAM said.
On the other hand, the bandh called by the Indigenous Democratic Front (IDF) was successful in all the five hill districts of Manipur. All the shops and other business establishments were closed with little to no traffic seen on the roads. All the educational institutions and offices were also affected. The Indigenous Democratic Front (IDF) had called a 12- hour general strike in all the five districts of Manipur on July 17 from 6.a.m protesting against the failure of Government of Manipur to hold Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections in the hill districts of Manipur to enhance grass root democracy.
Meanwhile, the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) had also called an indefinite economic blockade since midnight of July 15. A total of about 68 passenger buses were reportedly stranded in the National Highways 39 and 53 as a result of the economic blockade. Only those commuters were allowed who had to visit hospitals. A total of about ten passenger buses and two trucks were reportedly damaged at Kangpokpi, Senapati district by the IDF and ATSUM supporters.
It is worth noting that ATSUM had announced to call indefinite economic blockade as the hopes of the tribal people of Manipur had been raised only to be squashed repeatedly and the assembly promised to pass some affirmative legislations for the tribals however no legislations are in sight even after ten days of assembly sitting, stated the ATSUM.
The students’ body alleged that despite reminding the chief minister twice by the registrar of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University to propose a suitable site and set a “date for the visit of committee of academicians and experts headed by the vice chancellor” the government had not even responded to the letters.
The tribal students also demanded the Manipur Reservation of Vacancies in Post and Service (for SC and ST) Act 2007’ to be amended with the points suggested by the ATSUM and make it operational. ATSUM demands also included the proper specification of tribal reservation quota and therefore non-specification must be declared null and void and re advertised (such as the advertisement by the MSSRDA/DRDA and Manipur Legislative Assembly). ATSUM further stated that specified numbers of tribal reserved posts in all the employment advertisements whether they are for contract, tenure, adhoc or part-time in the state of Manipur which received funds from the state or the centre government directly or indirectly.