Bandh paralyses traffic in Chandel district

Letmang Haokip
Imphal, Feb 20: Vehicular movement along Imphal- Moreh section of National Highway and Pallel- Chandel District Headquarters road was paralysed due to the bandh called by All Tribal Blind Association, Chandel District today.The bandh was enforced from 9 a.m. to 5.00 pm in protest against the indifferent attitude of the state government and failing to translate its assurance of providing grant in aid towards the Mission Blind School located at Heikakpokpi Village in Chandel district.The bandh supporters including differently abled persons blocked the Pallel-Chandel District Headquarters road at Liwachangning village and Imphal- Moreh road at Thamlapokpi village by putting up barricades along the road and prohibited vehicles to proceed further during the bandh.However, emergency services and vehicles related with Exam duty were exempted from the purview of the bandh. And there is no report of any untoward incident occurred during the bandh till filing of this report.Speaking at the sideline of the bandh, Secretary of the Association K. Pareng Kom who is also the Principal Mission Blind School, Heikakpokpi said that the school was privately run by the Association with the objective to provide free education to the differently abled persons. And it was managed with the assistance and donation from individuals,  Assam Rifles and other generous civil bodies, he added.Kom futher maintained that since the inception of the school, the Association is running from pillars to posts for full fledging the only blind school in the hill districts.  However,  no assistance or grant is received from the side of the government nor from any Non Governmental Organization till date, he lamented.As such, the Association is compelled to impose the bandh as the state government has neglected us and not translate its assurances into action even after repeated reminders. If the state government fail to fulfill its assurances at the earliest, the association will take up stern agitation including fast unto death, he warned.