Normal life was affected across Manipur as the NRFM enforced a 24-hour statewide bandh over the 1949 Merger Agreement between Manipur and India.
IMPHAL — Normal life was affected across Manipur on Sunday as the proscribed National Revolutionary Front Manipur (NRFM) enforced a 24-hour state-wide bandh over the 1949 Merger Agreement between Manipur and India.
The shutdown began at midnight on September 20, resulting in the closure of educational institutions, banks, business establishments and several offices.
The impact was more pronounced in the valley districts, where shops, business establishments, educational institutions, private offices and public transport remained largely closed.
The iconic women-run Nupi Keithel in Imphal also remained shut.
Inter-state road transport services were affected, while airline services continued to operate normally.
Essential services, including healthcare, fire services, water supply and media activities, were exempted from the bandh. Security forces were deployed at strategic locations to prevent any untoward incident during the shutdown.
The NRFM called the bandh to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the Merger Agreement on September 21, 1949.
In a statement, the outfit questioned the circumstances surrounding the agreement and described it as an “unlawful annexation” of Manipur’s sovereignty.
The NRFM also referred to the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947, and argued that Manipur had an existing constitutional and representative framework before the merger.