The movement of long distance buses and trucks was severely affected on the second day of the 16-day blockade on the Manipur section of Imphal-Guwahati NH39 and Imphal-Silchar NH53 to press for the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The blockade which began from the midnight of September 19 was on despite Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh’s appeal yesterday to the Apunba Lup, the apex body of 32 organisations spearheading the stir, to call it off as the government was prepared to hold talks. Official sources said not a single bus or truck bound for other states plied since the blockade began. Authorities could bring only 15 stranded trucks with security escort yesterday to Imphal from different points of the national highways, the sources said. Security personnel would be sent to different points to bring the remaining 20 stranded trucks to Imphal. Ibobi Singh, addressing a meeting organised by the Manipur Editors’ Forum yesterday, also appealed to the students to call off their boycott. The Chief Minister said in a democratic society, people were free to demand anything but it should not be taken that their demand would be met 100 per cent. After considering the demand of the people, the government had withdrawn the Act earlier from seven Assembly constituencies. If the situation further improved, the government would consider lifting of the act from the state. Meanwhile, Apunba Lup sources said they would continue the blockade.
