Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, July 17:
The Manipuri Students' Federation today announced that it is indefinitely shutting down all the state and Central government offices in the state from July 24 as a part of its agitation demanding withdrawal of the Centre-NSCN(IM) ceasefire from Manipur.
However, it said, water, electricity and health services will be exempt from the drive.
It also announced that its action against the political parties in Manipur and their functionaries will be intensified A statement issued by the general secretary of the MSF, Ashirjit Luwang, said the motherland is paramount of all concerns, and when the motherland is in peril, no step, however extreme it may sound, should be spared in order to protect the motherland.
"The time has gone for the people to allow Indian laws to prosecute or harass them.
It is high time the people rose against the government of India"; said the statement appealing, with a veiled warning, to all employees in the state to stay away from their respective offices.
Citing as cases of treachery by the Indian leaders on the people of Manipur, the MSF said on August 21 and 22, 1997, the then BJP president LK Advani, Samata Party leader George Fernandes, Janata Party's Subramaniyam Swami, late Congress President Sitaram Kesri and Janata Dal's Sharat Yadav had promised to the people of Manipur in writing that the cease-fire will not be extended to Manipur.
Moreover Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had repeatedly assured the people that the cease-fire .would not be extended to Manipur.
But the government felt no qualms about making a volte-face of its assurance to the people.