Relief for daily wagers as shutdown called off
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 12, 2025 -

BY lifting the proposed 10-day shutdown call after three nights of intense public agitations marked by violent clashes between shutdown supporters and security forces at multiple locations in the twin capital districts, the Arambai Tenggol (AT) has yet again demonstrated that the organisation accords top priority to not only upholding Manipur's integrity but also respects the public sentiment and wellbeing.

For over nearly two years after the ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meetei communities broke out in May 2023, the Arambai Tenggol has been shouldering the responsibility of safeguarding the Meetei villages in the fringe areas and has lost some of its members in attacks by well-armed Kuki groups.

Acts of aggression by the Kuki groups and inaction by security forces resulted in civil society organisations enforcing impromptu strikes on numerous occasions during the nearly two years of the violence, thereby crippling normal life, with the commoners bearing the brunt of the agitation.

Arambai Tenggol, however, had no involvement in such agitations till the arrest of its leader Ashem Kanan and four others on June 7 compelled the socio-cultural organisation to declare the 10-day shutdown in denunciation of the arrests.

A day after asserting that it will not retract, the Arambai Tenggol on Tuesday announced suspension of its 10-day total shutdown with immediate effect, citing public hardships caused by the ongoing violence, the recent flood crisis in the state, and miscreants disguising as AT members bringing disrepute to the organisation by burning public vehicles, damaging properties, and disrupting essential services, medical emergencies, and religious ceremonies.

Moreover, Arambai Tenggol parading 14 youths before the media, who had carried out 'excessive violent acts' during the shutdown misusing the organisation's name, speaks volume about presence and intention of miscreants to take undue advantage of any public movement.

Through AT vowed to persist with its 'democratic agitation' till the release of its senior leader, Ashem Kanan, who is in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the decision to end the shutdown is certain to bring tremendous relief to the general population, especially the unsalaried section of the society, who had been facing untold miseries for over two years now.

Apart from the daily wagers beset with serious hardships due to all business activities coming to a grinding halt for three days of the agitation, traders also suffered substantial loss owing to wastage of perishable goods and additional transportation cost.

However, it needs no reminding that the traders would look to recover the losses by hiking the prices, which in turn would impact the general population.

For the past many years, civil societies, economists and the intellectual section of the society had been highlighting the regressive nature of bandhs/ blockades but such agitations continue unabated in the state.

Impact of bandh/shutdown on the commoners has also been explicitly explained by the Politburo Standing Committee of the armed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), which reminded that after-effect of any agitation that affects the source of livelihood of the people is ultimately borne by the daily wagers including the transport service operators.

As such, it remains to be seen how effective the armed outfit's ban on bandhs would be.