(Correspondent) IMPHAL, Sept 2
An effigy of the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh was burnt down as normal life in Manipur was thrown out of gear on Friday due to the 24-hour statewide general strike. The strike was called in protest against the disappearance of GM Changjou aka Gurumayum Jiteshwar Sharma aka Gypsy (49), the assistant publicity secretary of proscribed Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), the political wing of the People Liberation Army (PLA).
Whereabouts of Jiteshwar, a resident of Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak, Imphal remains unknown since he was allegedly picked up from a house in Dimapur of Nagaland by some people, believed to be army personnel on August 18 last.
Alleging that Jiteshwar was picked by personnel of the Army’s Red Shield Division based at Leimakhong of Manipur, the JAC, formed by local clubs and women bodies of Nagamapal, is demanding production of the rebel leader and denouncing security forces’ silence over the matter.
Failure on the part of the authorities concerned to declare Changjou’s status and whereabouts was in gross violation of law, the JAC lamented.
Markets, shops and business establishments in Imphal city remained close for the day. Streets in Imphal wore a deserted look, while long-distance and inter-city as well as inter-district buses remained off the roads fearing attacks by strike supporters if they defy the general strike.
The situation in four valley districts, Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur districts, were almost alike as apart from not plying all kinds of vehicles, shops, other business establishments, schools remained close. However, reports from some hill districts said that even though no inter-district buses from Imphal arrived for the day, shops and other business establishments in main market places were opened as usual.
Attendance at government offices in Imphal was very low even though some were seen attending office with white colour attire pretending to be going for a religious ceremony which was kept outside the purview of the general strike.
Police said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere with security during the strike hour except burning of tyres and debris on the streets in a bid to block traffic at main roads at Nagamapal and its adjoining Uripok area in the morning.
In about 3.30 pm in the afternoon, Nagamapal residents came out in large number on the street amidst tight security and burnt down the effigy of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh by shouting various slogans decrying government’s silence in finding out whereabouts of Jiteshwar.
Pushpa Gurumayum, the spokesperson of the JAC, blamed the Chief Minister who is also looking after the home portfolio for keeping mum on the matter even as a formal letter was submitted on August 19 to the DGP by G Radha Devi, mother of Jiteshwor, seeking the help of Manipur Police in finding the whereabouts of Jiteshwor.
She said family members of the Jiteshwar was still at dark on his whereabouts as he was neither handed over to any of the police stations in and around Dimapur. A formal complain on missing person was also lodged at Dimapur West Police Station on August 20 last.
Earlier, a family member had asserted that on the morning August 19 two SMSes were of one the family member in Imphal. One of the text messages read as “I’m arrested by AR & NSCN”.