A 12-hour shutdown called by the Coordination Committee (CorCom), an umbrella organisation of several banned insurgent groups, disrupted normal life across Manipur on Thursday as it observed October 15 as “National Black Day”.
The shutdown began at 6 am and was scheduled to end at 6 pm. Shops, markets and business establishments remained closed, while public transport largely stayed off the roads. Imphal and other major towns wore a deserted look, with educational institutions and private establishments also remaining shut.
Medical services, media activities and religious affairs were exempted from the shutdown, according to the organisers’ announcement.
CorCom called the shutdown to protest what it describes as Manipur’s annexation by India in 1949. The organisation observes October 15 as “National Black Day” every year, claiming that the merger resulted in the loss of the state’s sovereignty and political rights.
In its statement, CorCom alleged that the merger violated international law and disregarded Manipur’s political and constitutional status before its integration with India.
The organisation claimed that Maharaja Bodhachandra was taken to Shillong by Indian forces on September 21, 1949, and compelled to sign the Merger Agreement at Redlands, the residence of the Manipur Maharaja in Shillong. It described the agreement as the result of coercion rather than a voluntary political decision.
The shutdown affected commercial activities, transport and education across the state, while exempted essential services continued.
