Former student leader T. Shamuphaba watches impassively as police try to break the lock on the chain with which he had bound himself while on a fast-unto-death in front of the Nupilal Memorial complex in Imphal on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos

Imphal, July 25: The uprising in Manipur showed no sign of abating with Opposition parties today joining the protest bandwagon amid a 24-hour statewide bandh marked by sporadic violence.

The bandh was jointly announced by 32 organisations after the government had the last rites of Thangjam Manorama, the woman whose death in Assam Rifles custody triggered the agitation, conducted without her family’s consent.

Protesters took to the streets again and burned effigies of Union minister of state for home Sri Prakash Jaiswal, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and his colleagues in the Secular Progressive Front government. Flags of the constituents of the ruling coalition were set ablaze, too, at Khongman Magnjil in Imphal East district.

Activists of various organisations held sit-in demonstrations across the four districts of the valley. The indefinite curfew in Imphal East and West districts was lifted for 12 hours from 4 am, but markets remained closed and vehicles were off the road.

Leaders of five Opposition parties met during the day and adopted a resolution to support the campaign for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

The meeting was attended by leaders of the BJP, the Federal Party of Manipur, the Manipur People’s Party, the Manipur National Conference and the Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party.

“We demand that the repressive Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, should be repealed/removed from the state of Manipur and the state cabinet should take a decision to withdraw the ‘disturbed area’ status within three days,” they said in a joint statement after the meeting.

The leaders hailed the naked protest by a dozen women at the gate to the Assam Rifles base and the self-immolation attempt by five youths yesterday as “courageous acts” to protect human rights.

The youths suffered 20-30 per cent burn injuries and are in hospital.

The parties accused the Ibobi Singh government of using “repressive” methods to subdue the protesters and insulting the “dignity of the deceased” by having Manorama’s body cremated without informing her family.

The woman’s family had refused to accept her body until the Assam Rifles personnel who shot her dead were punished and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was withdrawn from the state.

The chief minister left for New Delhi this afternoon to discuss the situation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders. The focus of the discussions is expected to be the armed forces act.

Jaiswal had said during his visit to Manipur last week that the state government would review its stand on the legislation in consultation with the Centre. The Union home ministry is understood to be reluctant to withdraw the act given the law and order situation in Manipur.

Accompanying Ibobi Singh to New Delhi is food and civil supplies minister Ph. Parijat Singh, who is from the CPI.

A team from the 17th battalion of the Assam Rifles picked up Manorama from her house in the wee hours of July 11. A havildar signed the arrest memo, which stated that she was being taken into custody on suspicion of having links with a militant group. The Assam Rifles team mentioned in the memo that no incriminating evidence was found during a search of the house.

The paramilitary force changed its version after Manorama was killed, saying she was a PLA “corporal” and that a wireless set, a grenade and some incriminating documents were seized from her. It said she was shot while trying to flee.