Imphal, Aug. 15 -- Normal life across Manipur came to a near-total halt on Saturday as a 24-hour general strike enforced by a coalition of several proscribed underground outfits disrupted Independence Day celebrations and marked a boycott of the 80th Independence Day.

The shutdown, which began at midnight on August 14, was spearheaded by the Coordination Committee (CorCom) and the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)-Apunba, among other groups.

In response to the boycott, state authorities stepped up security measures. Heavily armed police and paramilitary personnel were deployed at strategic junctions, sensitive areas and public places across the valley districts. Security arrangements were particularly tight in Imphal, where the state-lev...