Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, July 16
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the brutal killing of Sapam Robinhood alias Thoi sponsored dawn to dusk(12 hour) state wide general strike which concluded at 6 pm crippled the normal life in Manipur particularly in the valley today. The JAC called the strike to protest against the seeking of 3 months time by the state government to frame a new (visitor’s regulation or Inner Line Permit-ILP) Bill to regulate outsiders(both external and internal migrants) in Manipur.However is there is no major unwanted incident during the course of the day’s strike,reports said.Strike supporters mainly the womenfolks and youths came out in groups in Imphal area and enforced the strike forcing the market places and other establishments excluding air traffic, to remain closed since dawn to dusk in the state capital even though curfew was relaxed for 12 hours till 5 pm. There are reports of widespread protests by burning tyres, logs etc besides sit-ins during the strike during the strike, but police prevented them from continuing.
Curfew, imposed since July 8 after Class XI student Robinhood was killed in police action to control a protest march demanding implementation of ILP which is in currently in force in three NE states, to regulate the influx of outsiders (external and internal migrants) in Manipur, continues to be in place in greater Imphal area, though it has now been relaxed for some parts of the day since Saturday.
The dead body of Robinhood is said to be currently lying at JNIMS hospital mortuary in Imphal.
On July 15, emergency sitting of Manipur legislative assembly considering the public demand withdraws the visitors’ regulation bill called Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers (MRVTMW) Bill, 2015, to frame a new Bill within 3 months which evokes sharp reaction by JAC and Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) which widespread protest in the state since last week demanding implementation of ILP system. Now demanding introduction of a new (visitors’ regulation) Bill within 15 days instead of 3 months, JCILPS announced to intensify the ongoing strike. Meanwhile an all political parties’ meeting held here, decided to form a drafting committee to prepare a new Bill by consulting JCILPS and others within one month. The meet which was attended by representatives of about a dozen political parties excluding BJP, MPP and NPF also appealed to JCILPS to extend cooperation by suspending the ongoing agitation in bringing a new Bill at the earliest. The JCILPS is yet to react to the appeal till the report goes to press.
