Imphal, December 18 2008: AN INDEFINITE bandh imposed along the National Highway (NH) 39 by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the murder of Maharabam Rajen, 40, s/o Nongyai of Sekmai Khunou Mathak and a broken Keimai bridge located at Shanti Khunou near a r iver along NH 53 has literally shut out Manipur from the rest of the country by surface.

Reportedly, no vehicles can pass through to the state by surface owing to these two conditions.

Normal services along the NH 39 were affected from early Thursday morning following the bandh imposed by the JAC formed against the murder of Rajen.

Bandh supporters also disrupted services by stopping vehicles and piling up stones on the road and even sitting in the middle of the road at Sekmai in along the highway.

Following this disruption of services, Sekmai police and police commandos had to rush to the spot and help the vehicles cross the Sekmai area along the NH-39 .

What is worth noting of the bandh was that vehicles that have come from Guwahati side had to stop at Kanglatongbi, about 2-3 kilometres from Sekmai.

Then the passengers had to walk through Sekmai, cross it, then hire vehicles and make it home thus making it inconvenient journey.

It may be recalled here that M Rajen was murdered on the evening of December 12 reportedly by two unknown gunmen who had come to his house to discuss business.

And the JAC formed had demanded the government that the killers be booked and produced before December 17.And with the failure of the government to fulfill the demands the bandh was called by the JAC.

Meanwhile, Manipur will also have to face problem with NH 53, also known as the second life line of the state.

M Tomba, secretary of Manipur Drivers' Welfare Association informed that the Keimai Bridge located at Shanti Khunou near the river was broken and that no vehicle can pass through or cross it.

This will surely come as a big block to the state which had always looked towards the two national highways as the source of livelihood.