24-hour shutdown over 1949 merger agreement affects normal life in Manipur

Normal life was affected across Manipur on Monday as a 24-hour statewide shutdown called by proscribed group National Revolutionary Front (NRF) of Manipur began over the 1949 merger agreement between Manipur and India.

The shutdown, which began at midnight on September 21, led to the closure of educational institutions, banks, business establishments and private offices. Public transport services were also limited, while attendance at government offices remained low.

Inter-state road transport was suspended, affecting road connectivity between Manipur and other parts of the country. Airline services, however, continued to operate normally.

Essential services, including healthcare, fire services, water supply, media activities and ritual-related functions, were exempted from the shutdown. The impact of the bandh was reported to be greater in the valley areas than in the hill districts.

In a recent statement, NRF Information and Publicity Secretary Sanajaoba Meitei said the shutdown was called to oppose the merger agreement, which the outfit alleged was signed under coercion by Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh and a representative of the Dominion of India on September 21, 1949.

The NRF claimed that the agreement transferred full and exclusive authority over the governance of Manipur to India from October 15, 1949. It also questioned the constitutional and legal validity of the agreement in the absence of approval from the elected Manipur Legislative Assembly.

The outfit referred to the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947, and the National Assembly and elected Legislative Assembly constituted in 1948, arguing that Manipur had an existing constitutional and representative framework before the merger.

The 1949 merger agreement remains a contentious issue in Manipur, with groups opposing the merger continuing to observe September 21 as a day to protest the agreement.