ITLF's shutdown call affects Govt offices in CCpur, Pherzawl
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 19 2024:
All government offices in Churachandpur district were forced to shut down by Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Monday after its demands for withdrawal of suspension of Manipur police head constable Siamlalpaul and replacing the district's deputy commissioner and superintendent of police within 24 hours, remain unfulfilled.
Employees of government institutions/ undertakings such as the office of DC, forest, PWD, agriculture, horticulture, fishery, DIC, post office, ZEO, SDO/BDO and other minor departments abstained from attending duty.
Issuing a notice earlier, ITLF had announced that all state government offices located in the district will be closed from Monday until further notice.
The notice had also cautioned that if anyone was found attending office, he/she shall be accountable for any unwanted consequences.
Financial, medical, and educational institutions, however, were exempted from the purview of the shutdown.
It further informed that the burial of two people from the 'Wall of Remembrance Massacre' will not be carried out until an amicable agreement is reached.
Speaking to this daily, 1TLF Media Cell spokesperson Ginza Vualzong asserted that shutdown of government offices will not be withdrawn until the demands for replacing the DC and SP is upheld.
He then advised the Kuki-Zo elected representatives to urge authority concerned to look into the aforementioned demands.
Mention may be made here that in response to ITLF's call for shut down of government offices from Monday, the state chief secretary had issued an order on February 18 advising all central and state government employees to report for duty.
It termed ITLF's public notice as illegal and without any authority, adding that no one shall or attempt to make any deliberate effort to follow or enforce ITLF's notice in government institutions and establishments.
The central and state government authorities and management authorities of institutions/establishment/autonomous bodies in the district should ensure strict attendance of staff and students as usual.
The secretary further cautioned that employees abstaining from duty would entail relevant punitive action.
'No work, No pay' shall also be enforced by all state government offices/institutions against those employees who do not attend their official duty without authorised leave.
However, Press Trust of India reported that offices of the Manipur government in Churachandpur and neighbouring Pherzawl districts recorded thin attendance on Monday, despite the state's home department warning that "no work, no pay" rule would be applied if employees go on unauthorised leaves.
A Churachandpur-based organisation, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) has urged the government staff in the district to refrain from attending work from Monday over the suspension of a policeman, who was allegedly seen with armed men in a video grab.
"Offices wore a deserted look.
Hardly any government employees were seen.
Offices of the public works department, agriculture, fishery and forest department in both Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts remained closed," a source said.
These two districts are inhabited mostly by Kuki community people.
"Several of the employees who went to office returned after finding no other staff," PT1 quoted an official based in Churachandpur district as saying.
Markets, schools and private sector establishments, however, remained open and they were not affected, he said.
The ITLF has made the call to press for its demand for the revocation of the suspension of head constable Siamlalpaul_ and "immediate replacement" of Superintendent of Police Shivanand Surve and Deputy Commissioner Dharun Kumar.
Head constable Siamlalpaul was kept under suspension after a video of him with "armed men" and "sitting together with village volunteers'" went viral on social media.
"State government employees should refrain from going to office...it will be their sole responsibility if any untoward incident happens," it added.
Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year after a "Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
More than 180 people were killed since then.
Meeteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.
Tribals - Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts as well as in the plains.
(With inputs from PTI) .
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