Bill defeated: Manipur suspends stir; normalcy returns

Our Correspondent

Imphal, Feb. 13 (EMN): Normalcy returned to Manipur particularly in Imphal after the suspension of the mass agitation by civil society organisations and lifting of curfew on Wednesday. The civil society organisations suspended their agitation after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile the state Chief Minister N Biren Singh congratulated the people of Manipur after the Upper House was adjourned sine die without tabling the bill. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was listed in the ‘Legislative Business’ for the day scheduled to be moved by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The chief minister currently stationed in New Delhi with 11 other political parties of the state stated that it is a collective victory for the united voices which rose against the passage of the bill in the Upper House, according to a DIPR release. He gave credit for the successful opposition to the bill to the meira paibis, students’, NGOs and different political parties for their concerted democratic protests.  He also expressed gratitude to the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for acknowledging the sentiment and listening to the voices of the people of Manipur and the Northeast.

Manpac, a platform for 72 organisations in Manipur which spearheaded the mass agitation against the citizenship amendment bill after the bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Jan. 8, however said that they will continue democratic form of agitation until and unless the government reveals the motive behind the move. It may be mentioned here that the government authorities lifted the curfew from Imphal west and Imphal east districts from 1.30 and 1pm onwards after the improvement of the situation in the state while the internet mobile/data services resumed around 2pm.