General strike paralyses normal life
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 02 2011: Normal life in Manipur came to a grinding halt today following the 24-hour general strike called over alleged disappearance of assistant publicity secretary of the proscribed RPF GM Changjou after his arrest by suspected Army men from Dimapur in the night of August 18 .

The general strike has been called by the JAC Against the Enforced Disappearance and Arbitrary Detention of Gurumayum Jiteshwar Sharma alias GM Changjou alias Gypsy with effect from last midnight.

Though there is no report of any untoward incident from any part of the State, strike supporters came out on the street to enforce road block along with burning of tyres and putting up barricades to prevent movement of vehicles.

The strike supporters also inflated the tyres of some vehicles which were plying in defiance of the general strike.

The Home Department had also taken up stringent security measures to ensure no untoward incidents occurred during the strike.

But the roads and market places wore a deserted look.

The busy Khwairamband bazar wears a deserted look

Though some private vehicles could be seen on the roads, no passenger buses plied during the strike.

All the shops and other business establishments remained shut for the day.

Even though education is exempted from the purview of the general strike and the schools and colleges were opened, normal classes could not be held as students and staff did not attend classes.

Attendance in Government offices was also reported to be thin.

The otherwise busy Khwairamband Bazar at Imphal wore a deserted look during the strike with all the shops shutting down their shutters.

Likewise, normal business transaction in other market places in Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, etc also remained affected on account of the general strike.

The general strike, however, did not affect the flight service.

A resident of Nagamapal Singjubung, assistant publicity secretary of RPF GM Changjou was reported to have been arrested by Army from a house in Dunkan Basti located near SM College, Dimapur on the night of August 18.But his whereabouts have not been known.

After a joint meeting of Singjubung Youth Organisation, Khwai Singjubung Women's Welfare Association, Progressive Youth Organisation and Cultural Development Society held at Singjubung Leirak Gurumayum Mandap on August 28 during which the a JAC was formed, a memorandum had been submitted to the Chief Minister appealing for disclosure of whereabouts of GM Changjou.

In continuation of its protest against non-disclosure of whereabouts of the arrested person, the JAC has called the general strike.