RailEnquiry

SHILLONG: Six northeastern states almost came to a halt on Thursday due to the 12-hour bandh called by the North East Students' Organization (Neso) to protest against atrocities on people from the region in cities outside the region and against influx of illegal migrants.The strike was supported by student unions of these states, which are part of Neso. The bandh affected life in Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and tribal-inhabited areas of Tripura.Neso did not call the bandh in Assam but it organized a huge rally in Guwahati.The bandh was total in Mizoram with the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students' Federation) supporting it. Aizawl streets were completely deserted and government offices, markets, banks and educational institutions remained shut.Life was paralysed in Manipur with the All Manipur Students' Union (Amsu), a constituent of Neso, enforcing it. Traders downed shutters at Imphal. No vehicles plied and attendance in all government offices was thin. The bandh, however, did not affect flight services. Bandh supporters burnt logs and tyres on the streets in several parts of Imphal. The strike dampened the campaign for the ensuing Manipur Panchayat polls. As a preemptive measure, police and para military forces remained vigil at all strategic points of Imphal.

In Meghalaya, the bandh was almost total in all the districts with attendance ranging between five and 10 per cent even as business establishments, educational institutions, banks and government offices remained closed. Except for a few government vehicles, there were no wheels on the roads in Shillong, even as the monsoon session of state assembly functioned. "No cases of law and order violation were reported from any parts of the state," a police officer said in Shillong.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the bandh was total in all the districts as businesses, educational institutions, central and state government offices remained closed, while vehicles remained off roads. No law and order violations were reported from any parts of the state. The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union had instructed its units to enforce the bandh in their respective jurisdictions. However, essential services were exempted from the purview of the bandh.

In Nagaland, the 12-hour bandh, called by the Naga Students Federation (NSF) in support of Neso's demand, passed off peacefully. The strike was total in Dimapur and Kohima with all shops and businesses remaining closed. In Dimapur, the NSF stationed their volunteers at various places, preventing the movement of vehicles as well as pedestrians.

The Dimapur district administration made elaborate security arrangements. The administration assigned volunteers to assist train and flight passengers arriving in Dimapur. It has also arranged bus services for them to go to the railway station and the airport. In Tripura, tribal-inhabited areas were affected by the bandh. The Twirpa Students' Federation took out a rally in Agartala. The federation's general secretary, Biswajit Kalai, demanded provide proper security to northeast people residing in other parts of the country.