Security measures have been beefed up throughout Manipur to cope with the total shutdown called on October 15 by the Coordinating Committee (CorCom), an apex body of six outlawed insurgent organisations. Apart from the civil police, special police commandos, State and central paramilitary forces are pressed into counter insurgency operations and routine patrolling.
In a statement the CorCom said that the shutdown shall remain in force from dawn to dusk. Media and some essential services are kept out of the purview of the ‘National black day’ on October 15 “to protest against the merger” of Manipur to the Indian union.
Manipur which came under the British rule in 1891 had been restored the independence status before leaving India. Manipur had its own Chief Minister, elected members of the Assembly. However the then king of Manipur Maharaja Bodhachandra was kept under house arrest in Shillong till he signed on the merger agreement on September 21, 1949. Many sections including the insurgents say that the merger was “legally and constitutionally null and void” since the king was merely a titular head and such momentous resolution should have been taken by the State Assembly. The merger agreement became effective from October 15, 1949 to synchronize with that of Tripura, also a princely State.
Police are conducting cordon and search operations although so far no significant arrests have been made. In another incident the Assam Rifles personnel shot dead four tribal insurgents during an encounter near Maphou dam in Imphal east district on October 10.
