The Coordination Committee (CorCom), an apex body of six outlawed insurgent groups, has announced a 12-hour statewide shutdown on October 15, 2024, to mark “Black Day” in protest against Manipur’s merger with the Indian Union. The shutdown, from 6 AM to 6 PM, is called by other proscribed groups, including the Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK), and the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SOREPA).

The groups argue that the day commemorates what they call a “historical injustice,” citing political marginalization and human rights violations that have plagued the people of Manipur since the controversial merger in 1949. CorCom has officially declared October 15 as “National Black Day,” pointing out that the then King of Manipur, Maharaj Bodhchandra, was coerced into signing a pre-drafted Merger Agreement on September 21, 1949. Since then, according to these groups, the people of Manipur have consistently resisted this forced integration, with militant outfits annually observing the day as a symbol of defiance and the fight for liberation.

The shutdown, while expected to disrupt normal life, will exclude media, medical services, emergency operations, and religious activities.

In addition to the protest against the merger, the groups have condemned the Indian government’s response to the ethnic violence that has gripped Manipur since May 2023. They criticized the continued enforcement of the Armed Forces’ Special Powers Act (AFSPA) since 1958, viewing it as a lasting reminder of the state’s oppression. The proscribed groups further accused the central government of waging a proxy war aimed at exploiting Manipur’s natural resources, such as uranium and chromite, while neglecting the well-being of its people.