General strike cripples Manipur

Normal life in Manipur came to a standstill during the 14-hour general strike called by a committee spearheading the movement for implementation of the Inner Line Permit system in the state.
The shutdown coincided with the curfew relaxation hours but people stayed put in their houses.
The indefinite curfew, which entered its seventh day today, was relaxed from 5 am to 4 pm. The strike too began at 5 am and ended at 7 pm.
Only those in essential services like health, electricity, water supply and the media who were exempted from the purview of the strike by Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) and women protestors were seen on the streets.

Like other days, women agitators staged sit-ins in Imphal East and West, Thoubal and Bishnupur districts during curfew relaxation hour today and there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere, police said.
Inter-state and inter-district passenger vehicle services kept off the road. Business establishments, markets, shops, petrol pumps and Khwairamband market, the main business centre of Manipur state remained closed, the police added.