CorCom Shutdown Disrupts Normal Life in Manipur on ‘National Black Day’
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Guwahati: A 12-hour shutdown called by the Coordination Committee (CorCom), an umbrella organisation of several banned insurgent groups, disrupted normal life across Manipur today , as the outfit observed the day as ‘National Black Day’.
The shutdown began at 6 am and was scheduled to continue until 6 pm. Shops, markets and business establishments remained closed, while public transport was largely off the roads. Streets in Imphal and other major towns wore a deserted look, with educational institutions and private establishments also remaining shut.
Essential services, including medical care, media activities and religious affairs, were exempted from the shutdown.
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 led to the loss of Manipur’s sovereignty and political rights.
In a statement, CorCom alleged that the merger violated international law and disregarded Manipur’s political and constitutional status before its integration into India.
The organisation also claimed that Maharaja Bodhachandra was taken to Shillong by Indian forces on 21st September , 1949, and coerced into signing the Merger Agreement at Redlands, his residence in the city.
The shutdown affected commercial activities, transport and education across the state.