stuin

By S Singlianmang Guite

Churachandpur, Jul 21 : With bandh volunteers unwilling to lend leniency even to nurses and other essential services including pharmacies, the twenty-four-hour general strike imposed by Zomi Students' Federation on Monday literally brought normal life here to a stand-still.

Life size effigies/photos of Chief Minister O Ibobi and Works Minister K Ranjit were set aflame later in the day, as the bandh enforced rigidly within the proper township ended without any violence. As the ZSF had made a prior announcement that even essential services will not be exempted during their strike, people and vehicles opted to stay out of the streets.

Today's bandh call was part of the ongoing agitation which the federation said was initiated for immediate handing over of Guite Road construction to BRO and revocation of the State Govt's decision to deploy IRB/Police Commandos in hill districts. The federation has already declared a public boycott on Works Minister K Ranjit and construction works undertaken by PWD in the district have already been halted.

Except for the police patrol parties and a handful of media personnel there were no vehicular movement on sight. The bandh impacts however trims down in some adjoining villages as shops are seen throwing their doors open to the public. Heralding their cause before the public, ZSF head- quarters had alleged that they have so far failed to receive any apology in any form from the Works Minister K Ranjit or from the state government, over the minister remark on the floor of the house that he was unaware of any cabinet deci- sion to hand over Guite Road to the BRO. Ranjit's loose remark on the house, ignoring the cabinet decision adopted by his prede- cessors has clearly offended the public here.

'We thank the public for their co-operation and support, the federation reiterates its commitment for the welfare of the general public and will still intensify its agitation depending on the response we receive from the government,' Kapkhanmuan, the ZSF President said today.

Student bodies, the ZSF in particular, and the civil societies here have been constantly pressing for the BRO since 2004.