Wednesday, August 10 2005 14:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Shillong: Normal life continued to be affected for the second day today (Aug 10, 2005) in four districts of Meghalaya, including the state capital, in the two-day long dawn-to-dusk bandh even as curfew was relaxed for eight hours in two police stations in Shillong.

The bandh called by women's organization hit the normal life in Shillong and its areas of East Khasi hills, West Khasi hills, Jaintia hills and Ri-Bhoi districts where all education and business establishments remained closed and vehicles were off the road.

Central sector offices and banks also did not open, superintendents of police told sources.

Very thin attendance was reported in state Government offices. No untoward incident was reported since morning.

The Jaintia Hills district, which did not observe the bandh yesterday (Aug 9, 2005) because of a local festival, joined the stir today.

The bandh was called by 'Seng Kynthei' to protest the police action on its members on August 5 when they marched to the state secretariat to meet the Chief Minister demanding release of two leaders of Khasi Students Union (KSU).

Meanwhile, curfew was relaxed from 10 am to 6 pm in Mawlai and Lumdiengjiri police stations areas of Shillong town.

Coupled with the bandh call, the ongoing 'indefinite public curfew' sponsored by KSU and 20 other social organizations from 6 pm had virtually stretched the bandh to 48 hours in the four districts.

The organizations were protesting the Lapang Government's 'insincerity and failure' to fulfil its demand on the revamp of Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) and holding series of agitation since May.