IMPHAL, Aug 17 ? Organisations spearheading the stir for removal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Manipur have demanded resignation of all the MLAs within five days from today failing which they would ?face the wrath of the people.? A spokesman of the 32 organisations told PTI that since the MLAs had failed to protect the interests of the people, they should be held responsible for the deaths of student leader Pebam Chittaranjan and Kangjam Memita during the ongoing agitation.
Chittaranjan, advisor to the Manipur Students Federation, who received 90 percent burns while attempting to set himself ablaze in protest against the Act on Sunday, died yesterday. Twenty-three-year-old Kangjam Memita who was hit by a tear gas shell during police action on August 7 at Lamlai while participating in the current stir, died on August 15.
Describing Chitaranjan and Memita as ?heroes?, the spokesman said there are thousands of youths who would follow the path of the two if the Act, which confers extra powers on security forces, was not withdrawn. At present, there are 59 MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly following the election of Patsoi MLA Th Meinya Singh to the Lok Sabha in the last parliamentary polls, the sources said.
Bandh affects life: Normal life came to a grinding halt in Manipur today due to a bandh call protesting the death of a student leader who had attempted self-immolaion to press for withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from the State, official sources said. Markets, shops and business establishments remained closed and bus services were suspended in response to the bandh. Attendence in government offices was almost nil, official reports said.
Imphal and Greater Imphal areas wore a deserted look with people preferring to remain indoors in response to the bandh. The bandh called by the 32 organisations, spearheading the current stir for removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, would end only after the cremation of 28-year-old Pebam Chitaranjan who died yesterday after receiving 90 per cent burns while trying to set himself ablaze on Sunday last. The sources told PTI that the body of Chittaranjan was likely to be cremated today evening.
Official sources said para-military forces and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed at all important places including Palace Gate, Sanjenthong, Khwairamband complex, Wangkhei, Khurai, Yaiskul, Singjamei, Tera and Kwakeithel in view of the bandh.
So far 50 persons, including senior leaders of the 32 organisations, have been arrested in the past few days, the sources said. The police were conducting raids at offices of the organisations and trying to arrest some of the important leaders of the organisations who have gone underground, the sources said.