Imphal, Mar 16: Normal lives were affected on Friday morning as twelve civil society organisations, along with a student’s body, imposed a 48-hour general strike across Manipur with effect from Thursday midnight, demanding the unconditional release of the three cadres of the Pambei-led UNLF, including its Chief of Army.
Both Pao International Market and Thangal Bazar were closed. The three women markets, Ema markets, were also closed.
However, no disturbance was caused to the examination centres as the high school leaving certificate examination started.
The 12 CSOs are the Federation of Civil Society Organisation (FOCS), Manipur Women’s Federation (MWF), Indigenous People’s Organisation Manipur (IPOM), Universal Mother’s Organisation (UMO), World Meetei Council (WMC), KKJCC, Yelhoumi Kanba Lup, Apunba Senmitlon, Singjamei Apunba Nupi Lup, All Lilong Chajing Meira Paibi, Manipur Muslim Welfare Organisation (MMWO), Meetei Council Moreh (MCM), and a student’s body.
This comes after security forces along with a team of NIA detained and apprehended two chiefs of the Pambei-led UNLF and a cadre on Wednesday morning at around 8.30 am from the Ningthemkol area, Imphal West. Later, they were airlifted to Delhi on the same day.
FOCS President Th Manihar, while calling a press conference on Thursday, said that if the three arrested persons are not released unconditionally, then intensified agitations, including boycotts of Lok Sabha elections or examinations, might be done. The union government as well as the state government should fulfil the demand for unconditional release of the three cadres, he added.
