Total shut down affects normalcy in Manipur

Imphal: The 18-hour total shut down imposed by the Schedule Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) since Monday midnight disturbed normacy in the state.

The shutdown was imposed demanding to include Meetei/Meitei in the schedule tribe list of the Indian Constitution.

Imphal wore a deserted look with less vehicles on road, shops and businesses establishments were shut down. No schools and colleges were opened. However the strike did not affect essential services and ended peacefully.

Shutdown supporters were seen blocking Imphal-Pangei road, Lamlong bazar, Uripok road, Singjamei road and some other place of the city area.

Police at Khurai Salanthong dispersed some protestors who were blocking the bridge.

General secretary of Young Progressive Union, a local club, Th. Ramananda Singh, who is also a member of STDCM, told reporters that there is possibility for the Meitei/Meeitei community to get extinct. To protect the community and to re-include the community in schedule tribe list in order to protect the Meitei/Meeitei community the people are supporting the total shutdown, he added.

Ramananda said the entire people of Manipur were in schedule tribe list during the British rule. After Manipur was merged to the Indian Union the schedule tribe status was withdrawn from the valley people.

The movement of STDCM is not to bring communal disharmony or to harm any other communities but to save the Meitei/Meeitei community, he added.