Just when it started to seem like the law and order situation in the state could not have got any worse, the second day of the state-wide general strike called by the JAC against the brutal killing of Sapam Robinhood @ Mocha experienced an absolute paralysis of every aspect of social life with every single government offices, schools, colleges and other educational institutions, markets, shops and vendors remaining closed. There is also a palpable air of barely-restrained tension and frustration as large number of people took to the streets, lanes and bye-lanes staging sit-in-protests such as by Moirang Hanuba Meira Paibi, Lukham Leirak near Oriental College, Chingamakha Liwa Road, Chanam Pukhri Mapal, Singjamei, Uripok Achom leikai, Khumanthem Leikai, khoisnam Leikai and Huidrom Leikai against the apparent refusal of the state government to accept the three point demand of the JAC while while protestors Polem Leikai, Ningthoukhongjam Leikai, Ahanthem Leikai and Huidrom Leikai wants the political parties to fly their party flags at half mast until the agitation is over. Supporters of the general strike also blocked every road and lane by piling up logs, branches, boulders, stones, bricks and other debris in the middle of the road. There were also bonfires on the roads in numerous places. Huge iron pipes were also seen scattered in the middle of the road and people were prevented from using the road. Protest marches were seen being taken out at places like Singjamei Kshetri Leikai, Sapam Leikai, Kakwa, Elangbam Leikai etc. a large number of protestors also stormed the houses of MLA Ibomcha, MLA RK Anand and MLA I Hemochandra. There were also reports of casualties and arrests of bandh supporters as well as firing of smoke bombs by the police to disperse the huge number of protestors at various places. The reluctance of the state government to address the situation in a swift and decisive manner only serves to aggravate the situation and has turned out to be the case of adding fuel to the fire. The unfolding social scenario still indicates increasingly chaotic days for the foreseeable future. On a different note, the supporters of the bandh and the JCILPS are increasingly getting restless and aggressive. The frequency of standoffs and confrontations between the state security personnel deployed to maintain law and order and to contain the situation on the one hand, and the protestors and supporters of the general strike have escalated, as are the number of casualties. Even when the press release of the JAC mentioned that persons engaged in essential services like the media and journalism, medical team and hospital staffs as well as those attending medical emergencies and religious ceremonies will be excluded from the ambit of the general strike, yet there has been an increase of reported incidents where the bandh supporters denied excess to such persons even after relevant documents were displayed.
The movement for the implementation of ILP in Manipur has entered a crucial stage, and the tact with which the JCILPS steers public emotion and conduct will affect the ultimate outcome to a large extent. Any wrong move or lack of focus and direction will threaten to change the course of the movement and hence the final outcome. Many prominent senior citizens also expressed their opinion regarding the present agitation, terming it as a just and timely cause, while expressing concern on the increasing violence which might very well get out of hand and turn the movement into an undesirable and uncontrollable scuffle amongst the public- the very situation which the state government will play to their advantage to scuttle the issue.
