Normal life ground to a halt in Manipur’s Imphal Valley on Wednesday as a shutdown called by the Meitei group Joint Action Committee (JAC) over the kidnapping of two youths took effect. The shutdown, which spanned the districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Thoubal, saw shops shuttered and vehicles off the roads, with demonstrators blocking streets.
In Thoubal, where the shutdown began early Tuesday, women protesters obstructed NH 102 at multiple points including Mela Ground, Wangjing, Yairipok, and Khangabok. Near Mela Ground, women occupied the road while young men burned tires to prevent vehicle movement.
The shutdown was strictly enforced in Imphal East, particularly in Khurai and Lamlong.
JAC convenor L Subol pledged to continue the agitation until the kidnapped youths are released. Three young men from Thoubal were reportedly kidnapped in Kangpokpi last week. Although one has been rescued, the other two remain unaccounted for. The ordeal began when N Johnson Singh, along with two friends, took a wrong turn while heading to a recruitment test in Imphal West, inadvertently entering the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district.
Authorities are working to maintain law and order while efforts to locate the missing youths continue.
In the backdrop, tensions have also escalated in Ukhrul over a land dispute, further complicating the state’s fragile security situation.
The shutdown has compounded the region’s instability and heightened calls for swift action to ensure the safety of the remaining kidnapped individuals.
