Normal life across Manipur was severely disrupted on Thursday, October 15, as a 12-hour shutdown called by the Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation representing several banned insurgent groups observing the day as “National Black Day,” forced shops, commercial markets, private businesses, and educational institutions to remain completely closed while public transport stayed largely off the roads, leaving streets in Imphal and other major towns wearing a deserted look during the strike period spanning from 6 am to 6 pm, although essential services such as medical care, media operations, and religious affairs were officially exempted from the shutdown directives issued by the outfit, which protests the historical annexation of Manipur by India in 1949 and marks October 15 annually with allegations that the merger resulted in the complete loss of the state’s sovereignty and political rights in violation of international law, claiming further in its public statements that the political and constitutional status attained by Manipur prior to the merger was disregarded when Maharaja Bodhachandra was taken to Shillong by Indian forces on September 21, 1949, and allegedly compelled under coercion rather than through a voluntary political decision to sign the Merger Agreement at Redlands, the Maharaja’s Shillong residence, thereby fueling the ongoing opposition and separatist narrative championed by the organisation, which successfully brought commercial activities, public movement, and academic institutions across the state to a standstill for the duration of the protest while law enforcement agencies maintained strict vigilance to prevent any untoward incidents during the controversial observance that highlights deep-seated historical grievances and ongoing security challenges within the sensitive northeastern region.
Manipur Observes Total Shutdown Called by Insurgent Umbrella Body CorCom to Protest 1949 Merger with India
