Yumnam Khemchand Singh urges stakeholders to avoid bandhs and blockades, warning of hardship and violence, amid demands for NRC implementation.
IMPHAL — Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has appealed to all sections of society in the state to refrain from calling bandhs or blockades to voice their grievances, stating that such disruptions can sometimes lead to unwanted incidents of violence.
Instead, he urged stakeholders to adopt other forms of democratic agitation to press their demands.
The chief minister made the appeal before leaving for New Delhi on Sunday, stating that both the Manipur government and the Union government were committed to fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the state.
“Calling a bandh will not serve any purpose; rather, it will create more hardship for the people,” Khemchand said.
He appreciated the role played by leaders of 14 civil society organisations and a delegation of MLAs who recently campaigned in New Delhi for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur by meeting central leaders and officials. He said the campaign had received a positive response in New Delhi.
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Khemchand said daily wage earners and students were among the worst affected during bandhs.
He particularly highlighted the difficulties faced by women vegetable vendors, who depend on the daily sale of farm produce for their livelihood, saying any disruption to their work causes immense hardship to their families.
He also expressed concern over the impact of bandhs on students, saying disruptions to the normal academic environment could affect their studies.
“Students are the future pillars of society,” he said, appealing to all stakeholders not to disrupt the academic calendar in the state.
The chief minister warned that stringent action would be taken against agitators who violate the law or attempt to create a chaotic situation. He said he was travelling to New Delhi to meet top central leaders and discuss various ongoing issues concerning Manipur.
Khemchand also welcomed the resumption of road transport services between Imphal, Dimapur and Guwahati after more than three years.
He said the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati bus service would ease the burden on economically weaker sections who had been compelled to pay high airfares for travel between Imphal and Guwahati.
The chief minister's appeal came after the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD) threatened to call a 24-hour general strike in Manipur from midnight on August 31 if the Centre failed to officially announce the deferment of the census and initiate the updating of the NRC by then.
The JFD has also announced plans to march towards the Manipur Legislative Assembly on September 7, the final day of the session, to ascertain whether its demands have been acted upon.
The eighth session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held from September 2 to 7, with three sitting days.