Four Vehicles torched during 24-hr bandh in Manipur; normal life plagued

At least four vehicles were torched and another one badly damaged by suspected supporters of different Zeliangrong civil organisations in Tamenglong district of Manipur along the Imphal-Jiribam highway during a 24-hour bandh in Zeliangrong area yesterday.

Normal life was also severely affected in Imphal when Zeliangrong civil organisations including Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB) , Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF), Assam, Manipur and Nagaland and All Zeliangrong Students' Union (AZSU) jointly called a 24 hour bandh from Wednesday midnight in protest against the government’s alleged failure to punish NSCN-IM militants who were reportedly involved in the abduction of ZYF and Zeliangrong student leaders on August 4.

The bandh gravely hit normal life at Zeliangrong dominated Tamenglong and Noney districts of the state leading to many violent incidents. According to Police sources in an attack two trucks loaded with onion and potatoes coming from Jiribam towards Imphal were set ablaze at the Saijang and Tupul areas in the early morning. Another attack took place as sources said around 11 am when two mini passenger buses were torched and another vehicle was savagely damaged by suspected bandh supporters at the Keiphundai area.

Reports added that as a result bandh, streets in Tamenglong and Noney district headquarters were looked like forsaken and abandoned and with only a few private vehicles were present on the road. The bandh forced most shops and business establishments to remained closed in these district headquarters r. The reports further said that no inter-district service vehicles arrived from Imphal for the day.

the Zeliangrong Civil Organisation by making a statement said its leaders were facing serious threats and intimidation from the NSCN (I-M) and that the outfit was "misusing" some individuals, in the guise of students' organisations called Rongmei Students Organisation Manipur and Liangmai Naga Katimai Ruangdi, as its "mouthpiece".