The Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) has called for a boycott of India’s 80th Independence Day celebration on August 15 and announced a 24-hour total shutdown across Manipur.
In a statement, the KCP said August 13 is observed as Patriots’ Day to remember those who sacrificed their lives during the 1891 Anglo-Manipur War and subsequent struggles to protect Manipur.
The outfit alleged that Manipur’s merger with India in 1949 had led to continuing hardships and human rights violations. It also blamed the present conflict, which began on May 3, 2023, on what it described as a “proxy war” involving narco-terrorist elements.
The shutdown will be observed from midnight on August 14 to midnight on August 15. Essential services, including media, medical, fire and electricity-related services, have been exempted.