Imphal: The proscribed National Revolutionary Front Manipur (NRFM) ordered a 24-hour state shutdown for September 21. It intends to protest the signing of the Manipur Merger Agreement. Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh signed those papers on this date in 1949.
The group claims the deal lacks legal standing. It argues the Maharaja acted under coercion without consent from the elected Legislative Assembly. The outfit cited the existence of the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947, as proof of a functioning government prior to the handover. Administration shifted to the Dominion Government on October 15, 1949.
The NRFM referenced a 1993 National Convention held in Imphal to back its stance. That gathering questioned the validity of the merger. "The NRFM alleged that Maharaja Bodhchandra signed the agreement under coercion and without the approval of Manipur's elected Legislative Assembly." The group now urges residents to observe the strike to keep these historical grievances in the public eye.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 2:00pm
The 24-hour shutdown, which kicked off at midnight on September 20, forced shops, banks, and schools across the state to shutter their doors. Public transport vanished from the streets, leaving inter-state road links severed, though flights continued to fly in and out of the region. Valley districts bore the brunt of the strike, while life in the hill areas remained somewhat steadier.
Security forces caught one of their own ahead of the chaos. A joint team of Manipur Police commandos and the 10 Assam Rifles collared 39-year-old Namoijam Boboi Mangang near the RIMS hospital gate in Imphal. Officials labeled him an active cadre for the proscribed outfit.
Essential services like hospitals, fire crews, and media outlets kept running through the strike. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh had publicly pleaded with groups to drop the bandh tactic, citing the heavy toll it takes on students and daily-wage earners. The NRFM, an outfit formed in 2011 and known to operate from foreign soil, ignored the plea to push its agenda for restored sovereignty.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 5:50pm
Namoijam Boboi Mangang, the 39-year-old local resident of Haorang Khunou Warok Sabal, was picked up by police and Assam Rifles personnel specifically near Gate 1 of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences. Officials identified his father as N. Meipak Singh. The outfit, which maintains an information wing led by Secretary Sanajaoba Meitei, timed the strike to coincide with the date the Maharaja allegedly inked the deal with a representative of the Dominion of India.
While schools and private offices shuttered, government facilities also saw a major dip in staff attendance. Authorities granted exemptions for ritual-related functions and water supply, alongside the standard emergency services. Security vehicles intensified patrols throughout sensitive zones as the protest hit valley districts much harder than the hill areas.
Updated at 21st September 2026 at 10:17pm
Authorities confirmed the arrest took place under the jurisdiction of the Lamphel police station. The apprehended cadre, Namoijam Boboi Mangang, is a resident of Haorang Khunou Warok Sabal.
The NRFM specifically pointed to the formation of the 1948 National Assembly and the elected Legislative Assembly as evidence of the state's functioning representative framework at the time of the handover. The group maintains the 1949 agreement transferred full and exclusive governance authority to India starting October 15, 1949.
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