Imphal, March 26: 17 hours bandh called by student body DESAM has severely affected normal life here in Imphal putting all business establishment center particularly shops and theater houses to a complete closure. Interstate buses services as well as local passenger auto vehicles were also put off the road during the bandh. However, not many effects were given to private vehicles from plying on the road.
As the day happen to be Sunday bigger shops at Khwairambandh Keithel usually down shutters for half day, but due to the bandh called almost all shops down shutters for the full day. Sunday family day out for employees was not seen during the bandh.
Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) called the 17 hours bandh starting from midnight yesterday in protest against the induction of MLA Ashab Uddin as Parliamentary Secretary, on the ground that the said MLA is not an indigenous people.
Earlier, Manipur Muslim Welfare Association also called a 24 bandh starting from yesterday midnight demanding white paper of the Frame Work Agreement signed between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India as well as introduction of ILPS Bill. However it was later suspended after getting assurance from the government authority.
Security has been beefed up in and around the city to prevent any untoward incident.