48-hour state-wide shutdown cripples life in valley region, no untoward incident reported

THE 48-hour state-wide shutdown, called by Meitei community umbrella body Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCO-M)) in protest against the removal of the state's name from a government bus on Tuesday, badly affected normal life in five to six districts of Manipur's valley region on Thursday, officials said.

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A senior police official said that most markets, shops, business establishments, educational institutions, and government and private offices were closed, and public transport remained off the roads in the valley region, inhabited by the Meitei community. COCOMI supporters came out on the streets to enforce the shutdown, and they urged the people to remain inside their homes. The bandh supporters also burned tyres on the roads at different places in the state capital, Imphal. The official said that so far, there has been no major incident in connection with the bandh.