Manipur: People Hit By 48-Hour Bandh For Release Of Arrested UNLF(P) Cadres

The first day of a 48-hour bandh called by 13 outfits in Manipur on Friday saw normalcy thrown out of the lives of people. Burning of tyres, road blockades, sit-in protests, torchlight rallies and other emergency operations were the only thing going on in the state.

A coalition of 13 outfits is behind calling the bandh demanding the unconditional release of two arrested United National Liberation Front (P) members by the Manipur Police, NIA, and CRPF. Normal life was severely hit in the valley districts of Manipur on the first day of the bandh.

Supporters of the strike dispersed the women market traders in Imphal early in the morning at around 7 am and the city appeared empty and abandoned.

All stores and commercial establishments in Imphal city, as well as several district headquarters in the valley districts, shut operations in solidarity with the strike.

The protesters participating in the bandh vandalized three vehicles that were traveling on the roads in the districts of Bishnupur and Kakching.

In the vicinity of Moirang bazaar, specifically at Thamnapokpi, tires were set on fire on the roads while the central security convoy was present.

A demonstration took place at Lalambung in Imphal West, where protesters staged a sit-in protest. As a result of the bandh supporters' agitation, the matric exams at Sagolmang High School Center were postponed for approximately 7 minutes. In Sagolmang, Imphal East, torchlight rallies were observed during the night.

Roads have been blocked, isolating Manipur from the rest of the country, although flights are still operating normally. All educational institutions, except for examination centers, have been shut down.

The strike came into force on Thursday at midnight and will persist until Saturday midnight. Led by the Federation of Civil Society Organizations (FOCS) Manipur, a group of 13 Civil Social Organisations throughout the state called for the strike to demand the unconditional release of the detained individuals.

Two significant members of the banned United National Liberation Front (P) were apprehended in a collaborative effort, according to officials on Wednesday.

They said that Thokchom Thoiba, who claimed to be the leader of the banned group's army, and Lieutenant Colonel Laimayum Ingba, the head of its intelligence division, were apprehended during the mission.

The NIA officials promptly arranged for the two men to be flown to Delhi for a comprehensive questioning session.

Thoiba did not belong to the UNLF(P) when it entered into a peace agreement with the Center in November of the previous year.

Led by Kh Pambei, the UNLF(P) made history on November 29, 2023, as the first Meitei armed group in the Imphal valley to engage in a ceasefire agreement with the government and commit to abandoning the use of violence.

Despite the peace accord being signed, security agencies expressed worries about the increasing violence in Manipur carried out by the UNLF.

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