IT News
Imphal, Mar. 13:
The 24 hours bandh called by the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) in all hill districts of Manipur demanding fresh election of the six Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), which began yesterday midnight has severely affected normal life in almost all hill district headquarters of the state.
The two high ways connecting the mainland has been hit and almost all major towns and district headquarters look deserted with shops and business establishment including educational institutions remain shut.
Report reaching here said that over 100s of goods laden trucks, as well as private vehicles including the passenger service vehicles, remain stranded at various areas of both the high ways due to the bandh. Many vehicles are seen stranded leaving no choice but to park at the place where they reached along the Imphal-Jiribam roads. However, there were no reports of any damage caused to any of the vehicles by the bandh supporters at the time of filing this report.
While there were no reports of the bandh affecting at Pherzwal district which has been segregated as a new district from the Churachandpur district in December 2016 along with 6 other districts, normal life in Churachandpur district was severely hit by the bandh.
Bandh supporters came out at the streets in the early morning today and stopped all vehicular movement by even burning tyres in the middle of the road. The town bore a deserted look as shops and other business establishments were shut by the volunteers. The district police had a hard time trying to put the situation under control, but normal life remains crippled due to the bandh.
Before 2016 December, Manipur had 9 districts and after the formation 7 new districts, the state has 16 districts now. There are 6 autonomous district council but with the formation of new districts, many from the newly created district also demand a separate ADCs. This is perhaps the reason for the state government to take some times to conduct the ADC election, even as the demand for ADC election by ATSUM is genuine as no elections or discontinuation of the ADCs whose term has been completed in July last year is a gross violation of the Constitution of India.
Interestingly, at border ton Moreh, which is under Tengnoupal district, a newly formed district by segregating from Chandel district, Kuki Students’ Association (KSO) a component of the ATSUM shuts all shops and business establishment besides blocking all sort of vehicular movements in the border town. Moreh block KSO had said that they will continue the agitation by imposing an economic blockade if the demand for the conduct of ADCs’ election is not fulfilled.
It may be recalled that the ATSUM called the 24 hours bandh after the talk between the Chief Minister and the ATSUM representatives held yesterday failed to reach any amicable solutions.
