Manipur Strike: Roads Deserted, Govt Threatens to Cancel Permits

Private transporters stayed off the roads, and shops remained shut in Imphal on the first day of the 48-hour general strike called by six student organisations despite the state government’s warning that the supporters of the strike may end up losing licenses and permits.

The general strike began on the midnight of September 27. It was imposed by All Manipur Students’ Union, Manipur Students’ Federation, Kangleipak Students’ Association, Students’ Union of Kangleipak, Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur and Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpanglup. The protest is in the wake of the police action against the hostellers of the Manipur University on September 20. The unions have demanded unconditional and immediate release of the nine students and six teachers of the varsity who have been arrested.

The commissioner of transport had notified that the transport permits will be cancelled or suspended if passenger vehicles failed to operate during the strike, while Imphal Municipal Corporation had also warned of cancellation of shop licenses if they remained closed during the bandh.

In spite of the general strike, petrol pumps remained opened, and security personnel were deployed in every part of the city.

According to the regional newspapers, government employees turned up as usual at their respective offices. “On the way, I came across stone and pole barricades, but nothing happened to me. Majority of the staff are present today, but no public visitors,” said an employee of the Public Works Department.

As the chief secretary had passed an order to take action against the state employees who fail to turn up at their offices during the 48-hour bandh, many officials stayed overnight in their offices, and some walked to their workplaces in the early morning hours to avoid any untoward incidents.

A few shops located in Thangal bazaar, Paona bazaar and some other areas of Imphal were opened in the afternoon following pressure from the police.

“We are stuck between police and the bandh supporters. The police might protect us and our shop during the bandh, but we do not know what consequence we may face in the aftermath of the bandh. We feel insecure,” said a shop owner of Thangal Bazar.

Khwairamband Keithel (bazaar) remained shut. However, a few street vendors were seen vending their wares, as the police allowed vending beside the streets of Khwairamband Keithel. Interestingly, the police usually evacuates footpaths, and shoo the street vendors away. “We do not have another choice for survival, but nobody turned up to buy anything today,” said a street vendor in the city market.

According to sources, buses of Manipur State Transport were on the roads as usual, but the number of passengers turned out to be very low. Imphal-Bishnupur and Imphal-Chandel bus services were filled with passengers, but the Imphal-Noneh bus service could get only four passengers from Imphal and the Imphal-Moreh bus left Imphal with no passengers.

Most of the business establishments, shops and educational institutes in the valley districts remained shut. Only a few private and passenger vehicles were seen plying on the road.

A few bandh supporters took to the streets, and burnt tyres in the morning, but police reportedly dispersed them. There was no sign of bandh supporters in the streets, in the later part of the day.

A member from a transport organisation said that they wanted to ply their vehicles but, felt insecure, as the bandh supporters might have caused damage to their vehicles.

The cash counters, receipt counters, form counters and some other offices from the Manipur University administrative block (A block) remained closed though they have been open for the past few days. Almost all the departments of the University were also shuttered.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh, while speaking at the World Tourism Day at Marjing Polo Complex, Heingang, appealed to the people of the state to join their hands together to make Manipur bandh-free and blockade-free.

He said that we must not forget that the bandhs and blockades severely affect the day-to-day lives of thousands of families in the state. Asking people to refrain from bandhs and blockades, he said that the government is open to have a dialogue with the students and other stakeholders anytime.

He also said that the state government was compelled to take action against those students and teachers who were mentioned in the FIR and the raid was conducted with proper decency with district magistrate and SPs including women police to arrest the culprits. Due to his responsibilities as CM and the home minister, it was mandatory for him to maintain the law and order situation, he added. Despite the government measures to foil the bandh, it has crippled the normal life in the state.