General strike halts normal life in Manipur

The 38-hour general strike called by Joint Committee for Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) affected normal life in Manipur today, for the second day.
Business establishments, educational institutions, passenger services remained suspended while attendance at government offices was almost nil due to the strike and incessant downpours, official sources said.
Ongoing semester examinations for colleges under Manipur University have also been postponed due to the shut-down, the sources said.
However, there have been no incidents of violence during the period, a police officer said.
The strike began at 4 am yesterday to 6 pm today.
The JCILPS called the agitation to press for making into Acts three Bills, earlier passed unanimously by the Manipur State Assembly on August 31 last year with the assent of the President.

The Bills are related to implementation of Inner Line Permit System in the state to protect the indigenous population from overwhelming influx from other states and countries of Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh, according to Convenor Ratan of JCILPS.