Normal life came to a standstill across the five districts of the Imphal Valley on Thursday as the 48-hour state-wide bandh called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) entered its second day. The bandh was called in protest against the alleged removal of the state’s name from a government bus transporting media personnel to the Shirui Lily Festival.

Commercial establishments, educational institutions, and government as well as private offices remained shut, while public transport stayed off the roads, severely disrupting daily life.

In several areas including Wangkhei, Khurai, and Kongba in Imphal East, and Kwakeithel and Naoremthong in Imphal West, bandh supporters took to the streets to enforce the shutdown. They asked passersby to return home and burned tyres at key road points to block traffic and register their protest.

The bandh, which began at midnight on Wednesday, has prompted heightened security measures across Imphal to prevent any untoward incidents.