14-hr strike ends without major untoward incidents
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 14 2015 : The 14-hour general strike called by Joint Committee on the Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) ended without major untoward incidents at 7 pm on Tuesday.

According to police sources, there were no major incidents despite the fact that there were ubiquitous responses from the four valley districts.

Life was thrown out of gear in most of the key areas in the districts.

The five hill districts remained more or less unaffected.

JCILPS called the strike demanding the withdrawal of the controversial MRVT&MW Bill 2015 demanding replacement of the same with a new one that gives more teeth to the proposed law in protecting the indigenous people.

The Government made efforts to subdue the strike by timing the announcement of the Government decision on summoning a special House session on Wednesday.

14-hr strike ends without major untoward incidents

JCILPS was, however, not impressed by the Government move which came too late and two little, said sources.

No truck and bus left Imphal along the highways for neighbouring States.

Women activists blocked the highways at several places.

Some persons were reported to be walking from Kangpokpi towards Imphal as the vehicles they were traveling with could not proceed further due to the strike.

Sit-in protests were staged almost in every localities and streets wore a deserted look.

Several women activists came out to block vehicular traffic.

In some places effigies of the elected members were torched and some women were seen lamenting on the "death" of these leaders in mock funerals.

On Monday night, several hundreds of women also took out torch-lit rallies and police guarded the nearby localities of the houses of the elected members.

One welcome development was that police who had drawn flaks in the past few days exercised maximum restraint and were not seen indulging in unwarranted excesses.

There was a considerable impact of the general strike in Jiribam where majority of the people are migrants.

One migrant was pulled up for allegedly passing remarks against the campaigners.

In Thoubal district slogan-shouting women had blocked the roads and nobody could pass through.

Though curfew was relaxed till 2 pm there was no impact since the Khwairamband markets were deserted.

Similar was the scene in other markets at the periphery.

Educational institutes were closed down.

There was near total absence of employees in the Government offices.

Since roads were blocked by the agitating women here and there it was not possible for the doctors, paramedics and other employees of the Government and private hospitals to report for duty.