THOUBAL, Feb 20: Vehicular movement along Imphal- Moreh section of National Highway and Pallel-Chandel District Headquarters road was paralysed due to the indefinite bandh called by All Tribal Blind Association, Chandel District today.
The indefinite bandh which will be enforced from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 pm was called in protest against the indifferent attitude of the state government which failed to translate its assurance of providing grant in aid towards the Mission Blind School located at Heikakpokpi Village in Chandel district.
The bandh supporters blocked the Pallel-Chandel District Headquarters road at Liwachangning village and Imphal- Moreh road at Thamlapokpi village by putting up barricades along the road and prohibited vehicles to proceed further during the bandh.
However, emergency services and vehicles related with Exam duty were exempted from the purview of the bandh. There were no reports of any untoward incident during the bandh except minor misunderstanding between bandh supporters and police personnel at around 2 p.m. at Thamlapokpi.
Speaking at the sideline of the bandh, Secretary of the Association K. Pareng Kom who is also the Principal Mission Blind School, Heikakpokpi said that the school was privately run by the Association with the objective to provide free education to differently-abled persons.
It was managed with the assistance and donation from individuals, Assam Rifles and other generous civil bodies, he added.
Kom futher maintained that since the inception of the school, the Association has been running from pillars to posts for full fledging the only blind school in the hill districts. However, no assistance or grant is received from the side of the government or from any Non Governmental Organization till date, he lamented.
As such, the association was compelled to imposed the bandh as the State government has neglected us and not translate its assurances into action even after repeated reminders, he added, warning further that if the state government fails to fulfil its assurances at the earliest, the association will take up sterner agitation including fast unto death, he warned.