Three bandhs underway in State back to back
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 14, 2013: Security has been tightened and frisking intensified across the State in view of the three separate bandhs/general strikes due to begin from midnight today.

In the first case, an 18-hour shutdown in Manipur and Tripura announced by CorCoM and NLFT in protest against the merger of the then kingdoms of Manipur and Twipra (Tripura) with the dominion India on October 15, 1949, is to begin Monday midnight.

The Coordinating Committee of six UG groups namely Revolutionary People's Front/People's Liberation Army (RPF/PLA), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Kanglei Yaon Kanna Lup (KYKL), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and PREPAK-Progressive, and National Liberation front of Twipra have jointly called for the 18-hour shutdown in the two states against the alleged merger agreements from Monday midnight to 6 pm tomorrow.

Essential services such as water supply, medical and religious activities, and the media will not be within the purview of the strike, they have said.

Separately, the militant outfit Maoist Communist Party of Manipur has also announced a parallel 12-hour Manipur general strike tomorrow.

Manipur became a princely state under British rule in 1891, the last of the independent states to be incorporated into British India.

Under the Manipur Constitution Act, 1947, a democratic form of government was established in Manipur with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and an elected legislature.

In 1949, King Bodhachandra was summoned to Shillong, capital of the Indian province of Meghalaya where he signed a 'Treaty of Accession' merging the kingdom into India.

After that the legislative assembly was dissolved and Manipur became part of the Republic of India in October, 1965.It was made a union territory in 1956 and a full-fledged state in 1972. Another armed outfit, Maoist Communist Party Manipur has also called for a 12-hour bandh/general strike in Manipur on October 15 over the same issue.

On the other hand, Kuki Inpi Saikul Gamkai (KISG) and Saikul Area Naga Peoples Organisation (SANPO) sponsored 48-hour Senapati district bandh is all set to start from midnight today.

Strongly expressing their resentments on the alleged negligence of the state government towards their demands made through a memorandum submitted on September 25 for the immediate cancellation of Home department's notofication of June 14, 2011, and to withdraw all the villages of Saikul sub-division included in the police stations of Imphal East district regarding the Police district boundaries and police stations under the jurisdiction of Saikul Sub-Division, Senapati dist, tribal bodies including the Kuki Inpi Saikul Gamkai, Saikul Area Naga Peoples' Organisations, village chiefs, public leaders, ADC members of Sardar Hills and Ukhrul had resolved to call the 48-hour Senapati district bandh from the midnight of October 14.They also demanded for the inclusion of Maphou Dam police station and Purum Likli police station (under construction) under the administrative jurisdiction of Senapati district police.

They further demanded for the opening of police stations and outposts in all strategic areas, if needed under Senapati police station.

Finally, they also asked not to disturb the existing original district and subdivisional boundaries in the name of security and law and order.

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