IMPHAL: Normal life was affected in the Imphal Valley districts of Manipur due to an 18-hour bandh called by a militant outfit, officials said.
Markets, business establishments and banks across the five valley districts remained closed and public transport vehicles were off the roads as proscribed militant outfit National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM) called for a bandh from Saturday midnight.
A few private vehicles, were, however, seen plying the roads.
Essential services were exempted from the purview of the bandh.
Normal life in the hill districts, was, however, not affected, an official told PTI.
The bandh call was given by NRFM in protest against the signing of the merger agreement between the then Manipur ruler Maharaja Bodhchandra and the Government of India on this day in 1949.
After the signing of the agreement, the princely state of Manipur officially became a part of the Union of India on October 15, 1949.