Manipur alert ahead of strike

Militant outfit calls bandh on Oct. 15 to observe ‘black day’

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Imphal, Oct. 11: The Okram Ibobi Singh government has put security forces on maximum alert in view of a general strike called by the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front (MPLF) on October 15 as part of its “national black day” programme. The front, an umbrella body of the Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, United National Liberation Front and Revolutionary Peoples Front, has been observing National Black Day for the past 10 years against Manipur’s merger with Indian Union on October 15. Manipur became a part of India on this day after King Bodhachandra Singh signed the merger agreement on September 21, 1949. As a part of the programme, the front called a general strike from 1am on October 15 till 5.30pm the same day throughout Manipur. The strike was called in a statement issued by the permanent body of the front today. The strike came at a time when the Apunba Lup and student’s organisations have been agitating over the killing of a pregnant passerby, Rabina Devi, and former militant Ch. Sanjit by police commandos in an alleged fake encounter in Imphal city on July 23. The organisations are demanding the resignation of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and punishment for the police commandos responsible for the deaths. Classes were disrupted for the past month after three student bodies — All Manipur Students Union, Manipuri Students Federation and Kangleipak Students Association — called a boycott of classes as part of the ongoing agitation. Concerned over the development, the All Manipur Student Guardians Organisation called a meeting of the guardians and school authorities on October 14 at Shumang Leela Shanglen of Imphal city. Intelligence reports warned the government that taking advantage of the prevailing fluid situation, the militants could resort to subversive activities ahead of and on the day of the general strike. “We have put the police and central forces on maximum alert throughout the state in view of the rebel general strike. We are anticipating trouble,” a senior police officer said.