CHANDEL, February 28: Normal life in Chandel District was affected on the first day of the 48-hour Total Bandh imposed by the Chandel District Naga Kuki Joint Committee (CDNKJC) in protest against the proposed acquisition of 600 acres of land near Pallel and for not fulfilling their demands of shifting valley based UG surrenderees from the district.
The body has also been demanding transfer of Revenue land Records from Thoubal district to the district.
A two wheeler and a Maruti van were reportedly damaged by bandh volunteers somewhere near Pallel area.
A large number of bandh supporters including women came out of on the streets and imposed road blocks at St Paul`s School, Liwachangning, Pallel, H Kotlenphai, Thamlapokpi and at Saivom Village as well.
As a result, passenger buses, DIs and Tata Sumos plying along the Chandel district headquarters, Imphal –Moreh road stayed off the road.
Movement of all private vehicles along these routes was also scanned by the bandh supporters with government offices recording low attendance of staffs at the District Headquarters.
However, emergency services, religious and examination duty were exempted from the purview of the bandh.
All shops remained closed for the day at Pallel Bazar.
Bandh Supporters led by Kuki People’s Forum also blocked the road in sugnu areas as a result all passenger buses, DI and Tata Sumos plying along Chandel Chakpikarong via Sugnu and between Chakpikarong and Sugnu stay off the road.
Effigies of chief minister O Ibobi; Commerce and Industries minister Govindas Konthoujam; Kakching MLA Y Surchandra Singh, Tengnoupal MLA D Korungthang and Chandel MLA St Nunghlung Victor were also burnt by the bandh supporters at Pallel.
Later, while speaking at the press meet, Sng Lumdil Anal, convenor of the 48 hrs Chandel District Total Bandh, said that the Bandh was enforced from midnight of February 27 as the state government failed to response positively even after submission of a memorandum to the chief minister regarding their demands.
He also announced that the people of Chandel District will boycott the local MLAs, if they fail to take initiative part in fulfilling the people`s demands.
President of Maring Uparap Assembly, an apex body of the Maring Tribe, Ch Angkham Maring who is also the ex-officio member of the Joint Committee also said that, if the state government fail to fulfil the demands of the Joint Committee at the earliest, they will intensify the agitations, and go even to the extent of boycotting the forth coming parliamentary election.
Lalam Mate, president of All Tribal Women Organization ( ATWO ), Chandel District strongly condemned the State Government for failing to fulfil the demands and said Chandel District is not a dumping ground for surrendered undergrounds as such the government should shift the surrendered cadres of KYKL ( MDF) at the earliest from the district.