Imphal :  Seven underground outfits in Manipur have announced an 18-hour shutdown from 12:00 PM on January 25 to 6:00 PM on January 26, urging the public to stay indoors and refrain from participating in Republic Day celebrations.

The call was issued by the Coordination Committee (CorCom), the apex body representing six banned insurgent groups in the state. In a statement, CorCom described India’s Republic Day as a “colonial reconsolidation day” for Manipur (Kangleipak), urging citizens to avoid activities associated with the national observance.

Separately, the outlawed Socialist Revolutionary Party (SOREPA), Kangleipak, announced a total bandh in the state from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM on January 26. In a press release, SOREPA’s publicity secretary MC Yaiphabi stated the group would support all shutdowns, boycotts, and general strikes called across Western South East Asia (WESEA), Kashmir, Khalistan, and Manipur on the same day.

Authorities clarified that emergency services-including fire stations, water supply departments, medical services, media houses, and religious or ritual ceremonies-will remain exempt from the shutdown.

These proscribed groups continue to protest the merger of the erstwhile independent Manipur into the Indian Union, a union formalised in 1949. The call for a boycott reflects ongoing demands for recognition of Manipur’s historical sovereignty and local grievances related to statehood and autonomy.