Bandh Halts Pace of Normal Life in Manipur, Hundreds of Trucks Lie Stranded

IMPHAL: A 24-hour bandh was called by Manipur's National Revolutionary Front of Manipur, which is a valley-based group of Manipur, to protest against the merger of Manipur with India 73 years ago. 

The bandh disrupted normal life and also halted the movement of inter-district and inter-state public transportation. Hundreds of vehicles stayed lined up as the proscribed outfit's cadres did not allow them a normal passage. 

Imphal wore a deserted look as business establishments and shops remained closed during the day while few private vehicles were seen on the roads were out for emergency purposes. 

All the schools in the Imphal valley remained closed and government offices also registered a thin attendance.

No untoward incident has been reported till 2.30 PM, as informed by the Manipur Police. 

The bandh did not impact much in the state's hilly regions probably because of the outfit's lesser hold in the hilly districts of the state. 

The National Revolutionary Front of Manipur announced this bandh because, on this date in 1949, the erstwhile Maharaja of Manipur had signed an agreement for merging the kingdom with India which did not go well with some of the locals of the region. 

Manipur used to be a very rich kingdom and was independent on its own merit and its merger with India meant that it would now have to be under India's control which a section of people did not agree with as they feared that their language and culture would be at risk. 

After its merger with India, the Indian government did not show much interest in Manipur's economic development as the state faced water problems and there were no markets to sell their crops. 

The people of Manipur also were not happy with the merger because no referendum or plebiscite of the people of Manipur was held concerning the annexation of Manipur to a foreign country that is the Republic of India, because then India was made up of 552 princely states, most of which later became a part of India but some like Hyderabad, Bhopal, Jodhpur did not want to join the republic which was later annexed with India by referendum or plebiscite method. 

Manipur which was a princely state too was not given the option of referendum or plebiscite and was coerced and forced by the center to come and join the Republic of India. 

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