Manipur to witness series of shutdowns

By IANS,

Imphal : Life in the northeastern state of Manipur is expected to come to a standstill as different organisations have called for general strikes during the next one week raising numerous demands.

Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has announced a 120-hour general strike with effect from midnight of July 15 while the Indigenous Democratic Front (IDF) has announced a 12-hour shutdown July 17 and Naga organisations have declared a 48-hour total shutdown from 5 a.m. of July 20.

DESAM has called the 120-hour general strike demanding release of five Manipur University students, who were detained under National Security Act (NSA) following the killing of Mohammad Islamudin, 56, a professor of economics and former dean of students' welfare of Manipur University May 25 in the campus at Canchipur, 7 km north of here.

The Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup (KYKL), a major insurgent outfit, had earlier claimed responsibility for the killing of Islamudin.

"If the government remained apathetic towards our demand we would declare an emergency in the education department and institutions," DESAM president L.C. Santosh told mediapersons Wednesday.

The IDF has announced a 12-hour shutdown July 17 to protest against the failure of the state government to conduct elections to the autonomous district councils (ADCs) in the districts of Senapati, Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Chandel and Ukhrul in the last 20 years.

"The Manipur government has curtailed the democratic rights of the indigenous people by not holding the elections to the constitutional bodies," said an IDF spokesman.

He told reporters: "If the state government does not respond to our demand, we shall launch a bigger movement."

Various Naga organisations led by United Naga Council (UNC) have called the 48-hour total shutdown from July 20 to protest against the state government's decision to deploy paramilitary forces and police commandos in the hill districts.

According to a release of the UNC: "The Congress government in Manipur has failed to respect the sentiments of the tribal people in the hill districts and mobilised security forces to harass the innocent men and women."

The ministers and top officials were tight lipped about these series of agitations and shutdowns.