Manipur rebels impose bandh against President Kovind’s visit

A conglomerate of six extremist groups has imposed a shutdown across Manipur timed with President Ram Nath Kovind’s first visit to the militancy-mauled state.

Kovind, on a four-day trip to the Northeast, is scheduled to inaugurate the 10-day Sangai Festival that derives its name from a rare brow-antlered deer.

The 26-hour shutdown from 5am on Tuesday is likely to affect the first Northeast Development Summit involving several South and Southeast Asian countries for marketing the region as an investment-friendly destination.

The coordination committee (CorCom) said it has called the “general strike” to protest the visit of the “head of an Indian state that colonised Manipur”. The group also reminded Delhi of a series of human rights violation in Manipur by security forces wielding the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

“We have made security arrangements to ensure the Sangai Festival and the development summit is conducted smoothly,” a government spokesperson said.

The bandh, though, seemed to have impacted life in Manipur. Shops, business establishments, banks and other utility services remained closed while commercial vehicles were off the streets.

Operations by the forces have seemingly weakened the constituents of the CorCom, but security experts believe the group has the capability to cause damage because of its association with another umbrella organisation helmed by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang.

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