Manipur govt offices record thin attendance in two districts following tribal body's call

ITLF has urged the government staff in the district to refrain from attending work from Monday over the suspension of a policeman, who was allegedly seen with armed men in a video grab.

Indian army soldiers patrol a deserted village in Churachandpur, in Manipur. File Photo | AP

CHURACHANDPUR/IMPHAL: Offices of the Manipur government in Churachandpur and neighbouring Pherzawl districts recorded thin attendance on Monday, despite the state home department's warning that the “no work, no pay” rule would be applied if employees go on unauthorised leaves.

A Churachandpur-based organisation, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) has urged the government staff in the district to refrain from attending work from Monday over the suspension of a policeman, who was allegedly seen with armed men in a video grab.

"Offices wore a deserted look. Hardly any government employees were seen. Offices of the public works department, agriculture, fishery and forest department in both Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts remained closed," a source said.

These two districts are inhabited mostly by Kuki community people.

"Several of the employees who went to office returned after finding no other staff," an official based in Churachandpur district told PTI.

Markets, schools and private sector establishments, however, remained open and they were not affected, he said.

The ITLF has made the call to press for its demand for the revocation of the suspension of head constable Siamlalpaul and "immediate replacement" of Superintendent of Police Shivanand Surve and Deputy Commissioner Dharun Kumar.

Head constable Siamlalpaul was kept under suspension after a video of him with "armed men" and "sitting together with village volunteers" went viral on social media.

"State government employees should refrain from going to office... it will be their sole responsibility if any untoward incident happens," it added.

Responding to the call, a home department order said, “No work-no pay shall be enforced by all the state government offices or institutions against employees who do not attend their official duty without authorised leave".

Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. More than 180 people were killed since then.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.