In response to the ongoing Class 10 and Class 12 examinations, a 48-hour general strike in Manipur has been truncated to 24 hours. This decision comes following a joint call by 13 organizations, denouncing the recent arrests of three cadres of the Pambei-led United National Liberation Front (UNLF) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 13. In a collective press release issued today, the organizations announced the modification of the strike duration, which was initially set to commence from midnight on March 14. However, the people of the state are encouraged to continue engaging in democratic forms of protest, including rallies, sit-ins, and torch rallies, demanding the unconditional release of the arrested cadres.
Signatories to the joint statement include the Federation of Civil Society Organizations, All Manipur Students’ Union, Universal Mothers’ Organization, Manipuri Women’s Federation, Indigenous People’s Organization, Manipur Keithel Nupi Marup, Yelhoume Kanba Lup, and World Meetei Organizations.
The arrests, conducted by a team of combined forces operating under the supervision of the NIA, took place in the Kwakeithel area of Imphal West around 10:30 AM on March 13. Among the apprehended cadres are prominent figures of the group, including the self-styled chief of the UNLF’s army, Th. Thoiba, and Lieutenant Colonel Laimayum Ingba.