Civil disobedience movement planned in Manipur

imphal: the united committee of manipur (ucm), spearheading an agitation, on monday announced the launch of a massive civil disobedience movement in the state from july 19 against the centre-nscn (i-m) ceasefire extension in manipur. announcing this to mediapersons here, the ucm leaders also called for a 24-hour manipur bandh from midnight of july 22.the ucm comprises six organisations - all-manipur students union, all-manipur united clubs organisation, all-manipur kanba imalub, united people's front, national identity protection committee and international peace and solidarity advancement. more than 50,000 people organised rallies and sit-in protests across the state on monday amid tight security. the three ucm conveners -- kh ratan, udoi thongam and s jadumani -- said ucm would organise a four-day civil disobedience movement from july 19 and appealed to government employees not to join offices during the period. they said during the period mass sit-in protests would be organised at all important roads across the state and added that medical and educational institutions would be exempted from the movement. they urged that persons should pay any kind of tax to the government during the civil disobedience movement nor any transaction be done with the government. the ucm would review the movement and chalk out future course of action after july 23, they said. meanwhile, more than 20,000 rickshaw pullers took out a rally across imphal valley against the ceasefire and shouted slogans "do not break-up manipur" and "we will shed blood for manipur". reports said more than 20,000 people also took out a rally against the ceasefire at moirang in interior bishenpur district and shouted slogans. reports said sit-in protests were reported from several parts of manipur amid tight security. army and para-military forces have also intensified security measures in view of the stepped up anti-ceasefire agitation in manipur, official sources said. round the clock patrolling was being carried out at several sensitive points but no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state.