Imphal, March 20 2009: With the Government failing to redress the demands over the killing of Akoijam Priyobarta, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the brutal killing of Akoijam Priyobarta has on Friday called a 48-hour statewide General Strike beginning from midnight of March 21.It ends on the midnight of March 23. Announcing this in a press statement, the JAC convenor, Thoudam Sharat Meitei said that the JAC is compelled by the indifferent attitude of the Government to go for a hard and violent means of protest while adding that the responsibility for any untoward incident during the period rests upon the government.

It may be mentioned that Akoijam Priyobarta @ Bochou son of Ak Rajen of Mongsangei was allegedly killed at Langol by a team of Imphal West police commando on the night of March 15.His blue-coloured Pulsar motorcycle bearing registration number MN-1-M-5073, a Samsung mobile phone with SIM number 9856342839 and a sum of Rs 8000 have also been reported missing.

Seeking cooperation from all civil society organisations and the general public, the JAC statement said that random killings either through fake-encounters or secret killings have taken so many tolls that today Manipuris are on the brink of complete extinction.

While asserting that devils in the garb of messiah are hunting for the heads of the people it said that they win laurels for every kill making lives insecure.

Saying that the saviours are taking lives, the JAC statement further maintained that destiny and fate are no longer relevant to lives while adding that money in the pocket, possession of mobile and motorcycles are the things that determine the lives of the people.

So far the agitation against the killing of Priyobarta @ Bochou has been democratic and peaceful and the government has been given five days to bring justice, and redresses the bereaved family but the government has failed to pay heed to the dry for justice and relief measures, the JAC alleged.

Keeping silent on this issue makes it clear that the government still intends to kill more innocent people, the JAC missive charged while adding that the JAC is launching a statewide agitations with the aim to bring an end to state terrorism in Manipur.