Imphal Valley: Shutdown Imposed in Reaction to the Murder of a Village Defense Volunteer
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Imphal, Dec 28 (NationPress) Daily activities were severely impacted in the Imphal Valley, which encompasses five districts in Manipur, on Saturday as a result of a 24-hour bandh called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to protest the murder of a village defense volunteer.
The JAC initiated the shutdown, concluding on Saturday evening, in reaction to the killing of a village defense volunteer and the detention of six others on December 14.
According to police reports, village volunteer Laishram Prem was murdered, and six others were apprehended following an encounter with the Manipur police commandos near Salungpham High School in the Thoubal district.
Authorities asserted that the six individuals arrested and the deceased were affiliated with the prohibited organization PREPAK, allegedly engaged in extortion activities.
Officials stated that various arms and ammunition, including items previously stolen from police armories, were found in their possession.
Due to the shutdown, marketplaces, including the typically busy Paona and Thangal Keithel markets in Imphal, were nearly empty as shop owners shuttered their shops.
Educational institutions, such as schools and colleges, also remained closed, and the majority of vehicles were absent from the streets throughout the valley, which consists of five districts.
Members of the ‘Meira Paibis’ (women vigilantes) took to the streets to ensure compliance with the shutdown.
Local clubs, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the Women’s Wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) also backed the bandh.
No significant incidents related to the shutdown were reported across the five valley districts. In Bishnupur district, supporters of the bandh vandalized a few vehicles that were still on the roads.
The JAC has declared that they will not accept Laishram Prem’s body until their demands are met.
The JAC is calling for stringent action against police officials allegedly involved in the death of the village volunteer and the unconditional release of six village volunteers detained on December 14.
