Strike paralyses normal life in Manipur

A 24-hour strike on Thursday called by 72 civil organisations in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, paralysed normal life across Manipur, police said. The organisations said the strike was called to send a message to the Centre not to pass the legislation in the Rajya Sabha.

The Bill that seeks to grant citizenship to migrants from six non-Muslim minority groups from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8. Shops, business establishments and all educational institutions remained closed in Manipur.

Activists and students took to the streets and blocked highways to make sure the strike was being observed. They laid bamboo barricades and burned tyres on the roads, according to police sources.

Security was heightened in trouble prone areas to avoid untoward incidents.