Supporters of ‘Hill district bandh’, which began on Thursday midnight, set ablaze three vehicles including a police van in interior Tamenglong district of Manipur, official reports said on Saturday.
Reports said two small size trucks which were coming from border town of Jiribam with essential items along National Highway-53 (Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar) were set on fire at Noney area, about 72 km west of Imphal, on Friday.
Reports said police forces rushed to the spot and opened fire to disperse the mob that set afire a police van of Noney police station.
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United Naga Council (UNC), supported by All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM), had called the bandh to protest against the signing of an agreement between state government and representatives of Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) on November 1.
Under the agreement, state government would upgrade Kuki-majority Sadar Hills area in Naga-majority Senapati district to a full-fledged revenue district after getting the report of the District Reorganisation Committee (DRC) headed by Chief Secretary, D.S. Poonia, official sources said.
On the other hand, the economic blockade launched by UNC along two national highways (Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati NH39) and (Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar NH53) entered the 76th day today, sources said adding that UNC had launched economic blockade since August 21 last to protest the demand of the SHDDC.
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To press for their demand, SHDDC had launched economic blockade on the two highways for 93 days which ended on November 1 night after signing of an agreement with the government, sources said.