Total shut down cripples normal life
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 15 2018:
The total shut down called by CorCom and ASUK from the midnight of October 14 till 6 pm of October 15, as part of the observance of National Black Day threw normal life out of gear in the State.
Commercial activities in and around Imphal city came to a grinding halt with all the business establishments and shops including Singjamei Bazar, Lamlong Bazar, Konung Mamang, Keishampat, Khoyathong and Uripok remaining closed.
Streets in the city and its outskirts wore a deserted look as inter and intra-dis-trict transport services were cancelled.
Schools and institutions, except some Government institutions were all shut.
However, the total shutdown did not affect the day's routine flight services.
It may be mentioned here that CorCom and ASUK (conglomerates of several militant groups) have been imposing total shutdown on October 15 every year denouncing the alleged annexation of Manipur by India on October 15, 1949 with the enforcement of the so called "Manipur Merger Agreement" which was signed between the then King of Manipur Bodhachandra and Governor General of India on September 21 of the same year.
Apart from the militant organizations, many sections of the society are alleging that king Bodhachandra was forced to sign the pre-drafted Manipur Merger Agreement after putting him under house arrest at Shillong.
Bodhachandra was said to have been reduced to the status of a mere Constitutional head of the Kingdom at the time after the institution of a democratically elected Government with adoption of a written Constitution under the Manipur State Constitution Act 1947.Hence, many militant groups in the State have been opposing the Manipur Merger Agreement and its enforcement terming it (the Agreement) as "Annexation of Manipur" and observing the day as "Black Day" till today.