Manipur: 48-hour total shutdown grips valley following brutal killing of village volunteer

Normal life came to a standstill in the valley areas of Manipur as a 48-hour total shutdown, called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in protest against the brutal killing of a village volunteer, paralyzed the region. The shutdown, which began at 5 am on Saturday, witnessed widespread closures of markets, shops, and other business establishments across Imphal valley.

The shutdown was in response to the tragic killing of Takhellambam Manoranjan Singh, a village defense volunteer from Thiyam Konjil under Imphal East district. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday when suspected armed Kuki militants attacked Singh at Kangchup Chingkhong.

Expressing their outrage, many women protesters took to the streets along the national highway at Waithou, blocking the road in a demonstration of condemnation. One protester criticized the political leaders for their silence, particularly pointing fingers at Meitei MLAs. She questioned, "Where has all the MLAs gone?" and strongly condemned their inaction despite several youth volunteers losing their lives to armed miscreants.

The protesters voiced their frustration with the current BJP government, expressing a desire to see a change in leadership. The sentiment was palpable, with dissatisfaction over the government's handling of the crisis and a lack of concrete actions to address the prevailing security concerns.

The JAC, in a statement released earlier, had announced the imposition of a 48-hour bandh, citing the failure of the state government to translate their demands into action. The committee had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N Biren Singh, urging swift action and the arrest of the perpetrators involved in Manoranjan Singh's killing within 24 hours.