Schools will be closed in Punjab today, August 9, due to a state bandh by the Dalit and Christian community. The bandh on Wednesday is in solidarity with violent clashes in Manipur, and thus, schools will remain closed. According to various media reports, the Dalit and Christian community held a press conference together at the Press Club of Jalandhar and formed the Manipur Insaf Morcha, and announced a state bandh. The president of the organisation, Surjit Thapar said that on August 9, the movement will be held from 9 am to 5 pm.
The bandh is a response to the larger ongoing issue of ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3. The violence followed a 'Tribal Solidarity March' organized by hill districts to oppose the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
As of now over 160 lives lost and many injured, the call for a bandh resonates as a strong demand for justice and awareness.
One of the reasons behind the bandh is a disturbing event that surfaced via a video recorded on May 4. The video depicted a distressing incident wherein a group of men publicly humiliated two women from different communities in Manipur by parading them naked. This deeply unsettling act prompted nationwide indignation on a large scale.
