Protesters block a road during a bandh across the state called by Joint Coordination Committee in Dimapur, Nagaland, on Monday against 33 per cent reservation for women in elections to local urban bodies. (Photo: PTI)

Guwahati: The bandh called by Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on Monday affected normal life Nagaland.

Vehicles were off the road and people preferred to stay indoors. Business establishments, educational institutions and government offices, including the State Civil Secretariat and Assembly Secretariat were closed.

The NTAC and JCC have been demanding the resignation of Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang, who has refused to step down.

Though, Nagaland government has already conceded two demands of the NTAC by declaring the entire process of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) election with 33 per cent reservation for women as null and void and suspending the police personnel involved in January 31 police firing on the protesters leading to the killing of two youth.

Meanwhile, various civil societies, political parties and students organisations, including Naga Students’ Federation and Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation have appealed for smooth conduct of the board examinations.

The students federation regretted, “We can’t expect the students to perform well in their exams in the midst of such social unrest.”

Nearly 55,000 students are preparing for the secondary and higher secondary school leaving certificate examinations going to commence from Tuesday.

Though, school and educational institutions are exempted from bandh, it is bound to affect the students, students leaders said.

The state has intensified security arrangement in the state with additional companies of paramilitary forces being rushed to the state, security sources said adding that there was no report of any untoward incident during the bandh.