IMPHAL, May 5— Proscribed Kanglei Yawal Kanna Lup (Kykl) has decided to ban all forms of bandhs and general strike from May 15 onwards, in Manipur. The outfit also warned the teachers community in the state not to take up any ceasework strike in the days to come. The outfit in a four-page statement signed by secretary of publicity and research Lanngamba Mangang stated that from May 15 no organisation or groups of people will be allowed to impose bandh and general strikes in the state.
Besides, employees of the education department and the teachers community in the state have been warned not to launch any form of ceasework strike to press any demands. However, bandhs and general strike may be held when it is called in connection with revolutionary movements and when the issue concerns the interest of the whole people of Manipur, it added. It further said that the burgeoning culture of bandh and general strike in Manipur has done nothing except robbed the right to live of the daily wage earners Laboratory on the ill effects of the state bandh in Manipur has on the economy and education system.
A single bandh in Manipur leads to the loss of over Rs. nine crore and gave the break up as Rs 3.44 crore in Imphal Rs 97 lakh in Bishnupur district and Rs 65 lakh in Thoubal district, it said. The outfit, quoting records of bandhs in Manipur in the last two years, stated that in the year 2001, there were 34 Manipur bandhs which resulted in the loss of Rs 317.56 core and 38 bandhs in the year 2002 which resulted in the loss of Rs 358.92 crore.
The four-page statement of the outfit also pointed out that bandh and general strike on any sort is anti-people and the most adversely-hit are the daily wage earners who have to eke out a living, doing manual labour, driving rickshaws or vending vegetable or fishes on a daily basis to sustain themselves and feed their families.
Bandhs do not only hit the economy but also education, it said adding that frequent bandhs and general strikes have meant uncovered syllabus that do nothing but rob the students of the chance to finish their course on time. Due to paucity of time, teachers too have not been able to teach the students properly. The many problems besetting the Manipuri society today is nothing but the symptom of the disease afflicting the people under Indian colonial rule in the last many yeas, it added. The outfit also invited the people to delve into their decision to ban bandhs and general strikes from May 15 and air their view points through the newspapers, saying that it welcome any suggestion.