Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, August 04:
The 12 hour general strike called by the United Committee, Manipur is set to go ahead tomorrow with the authorities failing to meet the UCM�s demand to release the 44 persons arrested in the course of the anti cease fire agitation unconditionally till tonight.
The general strike will begin at 5 am in the morning tomorrow and continue till 5 pm in the evening.
The state authorities did make an attempt to release the 12 AMSU leaders and volunteers currently in jail on bail today, but the AMSU leaders declined, persisting in their demand that hey and the others arrested with them should be released unconditionally.
The 12 AMSU leaders, including its president, general secretary, finance secretary and joint secretary were produced before the court of the chief judicial magistrate today, but refused to sign the PR bonds.
They were retuned to Sajiwa Jail afterwards.
Addressing a press conference in this connection, former AMSU general secretary P Premananda said that the prolonged detention of the AMSU leaders will only create other problems for the state, but declared that the AMSU will never accept the discharge of the arrested leaders on bail.
He said that as demanded by various organizations and student groups in the state to release the arrested people unconditionally, the arrested AMSU leaders were not able to accept their release without, the release of the others who were also arrested in the course of the agitation.
The AMSU spokesman said the PR administration did not appear to be fully aware of the burning situation of the state and seemed to be paralyzed.
The AMSU also strongly criticized the economic blockade imposed upon the national highways by Naga groups against the revision of the decision to extend the ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) saying that it was an inhumane act amounting to trying to starve the neighboring community.
�This proves that they were supporters of the underground NSCN (IM) and were encouraging the activities of highway looting and collection of illegal taxes from vehicles,� the AMSU spokesman said.
He demanded the arrest of people like K Padmanabhaiah who had crated the current situation in the state by giving his ignorant commitments.
He added that the AMSU wanted the government to pay attention to the development of the national highways.