President of India Ram Nath Kovind being received by Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla (not seen in pic), Chief Minister N Biren Singh and others at Imphal Airport on Tuesday.
Newmai News Network
Imphal | November 21
President of India, Ram Nath Kovind was greeted with a bandh in Imphal today. The bandh which began at 5:00 am on Tuesday will end at 8:00 am on Wednesday. The bandh has been called by CorCom (Co-ordination Committee), a conglomerate of underground outfits including KCP, KYKL, PREEPAK, PREEPAK (Pro), RPF and UNLF, to boycott the visit of the President of India to Manipur.
Kovind arrived at 11:30 am in Imphal by an Indian Air Force aircraft to inaugurate the ‘North East Development Summit’ and the Manipur tourism festival, Sangai Festival. He was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Due to the bandh, normal life in the state capital Imphal has been hit hard. Shops and other business establishments did not operate, while private educational institutions and offices also did not function. The streets of Imphal also looked almost deserted. Inter-state and inter district public transports also failed to operate. However, in the hill districts there was no impact of the bandh.
According to CorCom, it is boycotting the “visit of the President of India to Manipur as he is the head of the India which colonized Manipur”.
It may be noted that on the eve of the visit of the President of India to Imphal, a non-local man was shot dead by some armed men in Imphal West district. The incident occurred around 8:00 pm yesterday. The deceased has been identified as one Murali Thakur, 49, of Bihar, who was reportedly running a canteen at a school in Imphal West district. The reason for the killing is yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, as part of security measures taken up by the district police Imphal East in connection with the Sangai Festival as well as the President’s visit, a combined team of Manipur Police and 6 Assam Rifles conducted cordon and search operations in Kongpal area from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. In the search operations, a PLA cadre identified as Thongam Gyanendro alias Ibomcha Singh, (57) and Kabrabam Lele Singh (52), a former cadre of PLA were arrested and some weapons were recovered from them, according to police sources.
In the past 15 days, security forces have been carrying out operations in various localities of Imphal.
