Another Blockade?
Excuse never lacking for some groups
When a job assigned to someone is not done even long after the given time is over, there is a good enough reason for those, who gave the assignment, to get annoyed. Hopes can be restored when the authority takes the assignment away from the one who has sat on it for unreasonably too long, and hands it over to somebody else, who would get down to work immediately. That’s what has been happening with the case of NH 53. The Border Road Task Force (BRTF), which has been looking after the maintenance and improvement of the Imphal-Jiribam stretch of the NH 53 for the past several decades, has not performed upto the expectation of the state government. The condition of the whole stretch of NH 53 right from the foothill adjoining the valley to Jiribam still remains deplorable. Though some portions of the highway in different places may be considered as okay, the overall condition of the highway is bad. The bridges built over various rivers that cut across the NH 53 in Tamenglong district are weak, and some are in dilapidated condition. Besides, there are many landslide prone areas on the highway in the district. When trouble erupts on NH 39 (Imphal-Dimapur road), people of Manipur naturally turn towards the NH 53. But to the people’s chagrin, this Imphal-Jiribam stretch of NH 53 would be found so bad that several hundreds of freight trucks and oil tankers of the state just can’t ply together at a time. One or other bridge would be in such a bad condition that BRTF and PWD labourers have to work for hours for a goods-laden truck to cross without having to face the risk of falling into the river. There had been incidents of trucks falling into the river when the bridge collapsed. How the landslides affect the traffic on the highway is also well-known to the people.
But why did not the BRTF work properly to maintain the NH 53 in good condition while all other highways in other states looked after by them are in marvellous condition? What had the BRTF been doing all these past years? These are some of the questions the Chief Minister of Manipur, Shri O Ibobi and Works Minister Shri K Ranjit asked the officials of BRTF at a meeting held recently in the office chamber of the Chief Minister. The answer the BRTF officials had given was indeed surprising that due to funds constraint, the improvement works could not be taken up in full swing. The funds for maintaining and improving the NH 53 come from the Union Ministry of Surface Transport and Highways under which jurisdiction falls the NH 53. The tardiness of the BRTF in improving the Imphal-Jiribam stretch of the NH 53 occurred despite the State government’s repeated reminders to the agency and pleas with the Centre. Therefore, the State government might have decided that it would be much better if the State PWD takes over the work of maintaining and improving the Imphal-Jiribam road with the state’s own funds. Keeping the stretch of the NH 53 in good and shipshape condition has become all the more necessary in view of the people’s preference of this highway to the NH 39, which is prone to be blockaded at the drop of a hat. Majority of the people felt somewhat optimistic that with the state government’s attention to NH 53, the highway would get improved gradually.
But sadly, the Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Tamenglong District (ZSUTD) and the Zeliangrong Youth Front, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland (ZYF-AMN) have not taken the state Cabinet’s decision to take over the onus of maintenance and improvement of NH 53 gladly, and announced that if the Cabinet decision is not withdrawn and if the responsibility is not handed over to the BRTF and BRO, the two bodies would call for total bandh and indefinite blockade. Perhaps, the Zeliangrong students and youths bodies have no trust in the PWD to do wonders on NH 53. They may have plenty of grounds to argue on. They may be right in a sense or wrong in another. But announcing of their intent of calling for total bandh and indefinite blockade just days after the over two-month long indefinite blockade had been suspended is too bad. As if economic blockade must remain in place throughout the year against the people of Manipur, why some organizations always think and talk of economic blockade is something hard to understand. But then, there’s nothing surprising as it’s well known to the government and the people that like ANSAM, UNC, etc, ZSU, ZYF (AMN), etc also always appear to be looking for excuse to start any kind of agitation and confront the Government of Manipur. The underlying agenda are not too deep to see. However, it’s our humble suggestion that before starting any drastic stir that would only put the people in trouble once again, the Zeliangrong students and youths first should have a meeting or some meetings with the people in the government and thrash out the issue in a properly democratic manner. Talking and understanding would bring far more good than pain and trouble to all of us.
Source: Hueiyen News Service
For Peace
By Editorial
Try to be religious within self
The Human world has made much advancement and is still advancing fast into modern civilisation. There is no limit to the growth of human civilisation. As long as human mind continues to work hard, more and more astonishing things will get to be invented. What was not thought of as a necessary item in one’s life till today might become an essential commodity tomorrow. Such things of the future will make living easier and more comfortable. But while such
scientific and technological products become necessary or luxurious items for a particular class of people, these will only remain as dreams for another class. As it is, highly expensive electronic gadgets, luxurious cars, etc are considered necessary for the moneyed people. Yet all these are only a colourful dream to the poverty-stricken people who find it too hard to keep the wolf from the door. Nonetheless, every pleasure-seeking man wants to make this dream come true, and thus is jumping headlong into the competition for making money in order to own the costly consumer goods. Everybody wants to have delectable food and many people want to consume good drinks. People want to drive nice cars and live in beautiful mansions with thickly carpeted floors and expensive paintings on the walls. Everybody wants to own all kinds of electronic appliances available at the market, and avail themselves of the advantages of modern communication provided by the internet and such. All these are easily available if one has money. Therefore, man needs money, and spends sleepless nights thinking of the means to earn it. He sees only money in his eyes, and is convinced that money is the ultimate goal of life. In order to get money, man cheats, subjugates, exploits and kills man. He lies, steals, indulges in fraudulent business and corruption. He has become mean, merciless and cruel. He doesn’t want to give but only take. There is no love lost between man and man, each awaits an opportunity to reach his hand out for the other’s throat.
In the meanwhile, it seems that no one remembers ‘religion.’ The situation is all the worse in Manipur. Since the time about some 500 years back when Hinduism had almost engulfed the indigenous faith, culture and traditions, the question of religion in the Meitei society has always remained in a confused and controversial state. Religion, in this context, is not the almost ostentatious kind that we see today. The point intended to raise here is the kind of religion in which the Father of the Nation had believed and propounded. To him, religion is truth, honesty, generosity, service to the poor and suffering, being compassionate, good conduct, benevolence, to love others, giving up ill thought, etc. Those who do not possess these qualities, even if they go to temple, church, gurudwara, mosque and other places of worship, are not truly religious people. A person, who never misses participating in all so-called religious functions but tirelessly indulges in thievery, corruption, fraud, cruelty to others and all kinds of evil activities, can never be regarded as religious. All sections of the society appear to have gone far off the point of religion. As a result, we are witnessing endless violence and undesirable incidents. It can be stressed here that it’s all because of lack of religion. This religion is greatly different from that of what karl Marx had called “opium.” True religion will enable all of us to live in peace. Isn’t it time for all of us to learn to be a bit religious within self? Source: Hueiyen News Service
Make No Mistake
By Editorial
Govt, transporters, drivers and
people should not repeat 2005 error
Men are bound to make error in judgment and action. Everyone makes error. No one is perfect. No individual’s actions and behaviours are error-free. The old adage “to err is human” is absolutely true and proven, yet its accompanying clause “to forgive is God” remains abstract, and only for the purpose of spiritual discourses. But making the same error again and again is worse than being merely foolish and committing a crime or a great sin even God wouldn’t agree to forgive. The Government of Manipur, the transporters, drivers and owners of trucks and tankers and the people of Manipur had way back in 2005 learned a bitter lesson of which taste should have remained etched on everyone’s memory forever, but unfortunately chose to forget it after the 52 days’ ordeal was over. ANSAM and UNC, of which full forms need not be given any more since the two have become perfectly synonymous with “economic blockade” and too well familiar with even a three-year-old child of any community in Manipur, had taught the Government of Manipur and all sections of the people that chokingly painful and bitter lesson. But, may be because of the state government’s habit of looking at the present only, not bothering about the future and also the Manipuri people’s good nature of “forget-and-forgive” all suddenly forgot the hardships the people faced during the 52 days of economic blockade called by ANSAM with the support of its brother organization UNC. During those 52 days of blockade which, though did not leave anyone in Manipur dead due to starvation as a result of food scarcity, caused much hardship to the lives of the people, specially the poor sections. Everyone talked about the NH 53 as the alternative lifeline of Manipur. Various organizations came out with the idea of voluntarily protecting the Imphal-Jiribam road, and MLAs and Ministers and even the state government openly voiced the need for improvement of the road so that all the goods and fuel carrier vehicles could traverse the road for bringing goods and fuel into the state from Silchar, Assam. That was the longest economic blockade ever imposed by Naga bodies on the two NHs in Manipur.
The record was broken by the same Naga bodies themselves, who are undoubtedly the pioneers, rather fathers of all economic blockades in the world. This time, the period of economic blockade, what the pioneers called indefinite, stretched upto the 68th day, wow! Have no doubt, it’s not going to be the last. For all we know, these pioneers would be calling for another and more longer “indefinite economic blockade” in future too. After all, the world is not going to come to an end tomorrow. And why shouldn’t they use the God’s gift (to them) of having Manipur formed as a mountains-locked land and connected by only two main NHs to the rest of the country to put nearly 2.5 million population of the state in misery to demand their rights? Funnily, the UNC and ANSAM have turned their demands from “tribal rights” before and at the beginning of the record-smasher blockade to “Naga rights” at the end of the blockade. One just can’t miss the obvious. Earlier, the Naga bodies tried to justify their hidden agenda of calling for various forms of agitations in the name of “tribal rights” against the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council (3rd Amendment) Act, 2008 but when no other tribal communities such as Kuki, Paite, Hmar, Zou, Mizo, etc extended solidarity to their agitations, the ANSAM and the UNC, in fact one and the same, had to finally come out with the truth–the Naga rights––integration of so-called Naga areas. Be that as it may, meanwhile, all sections of the people of Manipur, except a handful of supporters of NSCN-IM and Muivah, are now talking about improvement of the NH 53 and making it the alternative lifeline. The Transporters and Drivers’ Council, the apex body of all associations of truckers and tankers of Manipur, for now looks determined not to ply the Imphal-Dimapur road until the Centre, the government of Nagaland, NSCN-IM and other NGOs give written assurance that they would never harass the drivers and passengers of Manipur and collect illegal taxes. This stand should not be changed at all. There may be plenty of efforts from the side of the government and vested interest, such as the business lobby of Thangal Bazar to break the TDC’s stand and allow vehicles to ply NH 39 in narrow and selfish interest, but we’d remind all concerned that letting the goods and fuel carriers ply the NH 39 since there’s no blockade now would be making the same mistake made again and again in the past. Source: Hueiyen News Service
No Wavering
People expect the govt to be resolute in its stand
One of the problems that make the people of Manipur face serious crisis almost perennially is the general inclination of the people and their elected representatives, who are in the seat of powe,r to waver between to do or not to do. The people as well as the legislators have a general tendency to take a decision today and change it tomorrow or forget it. Thus, those in power would take a decision which, while taking the decision, they would appear to be unassailably determined to translate into reality, but later would vacillate whether to go ahead or not. A lot of time would pass while hesitating leaving the issue at hand unsolved for another crisis to develop later. This may be because of the people’s yet another general tendency toward objecting to and arguing against anything that any person or the government proposes to do. Even if it’s not for the purpose of getting the best out of such argument or objection, people of Manipur are always inclined to object and oppose to anything/something that others propose. This habit of our people that cannot be given up easily, like someone’s addiction to drugs, makes the root cause of prevalence of divided opinions among the people leading to creating two entities in almost everything–two organizations of the same ‘Lup’, two factions of the same organization, etc., what’s ironically known as “Anee thokpee” in Manipur.
The Transporters and Drivers’ Council, the apex body of various transporters, owners and drivers associations of Manipur has reiterated its stand that the trucks, oil tankers, LPG bullet tankers and inter-state buses will not ply the NH 39 even if security protection is provided until the Centre and the government of Nagaland give fool proof assurances that no sort of harassments would be caused to the drivers and passengers in Nagaland ever again. However, not surprisingly, given the people’s tendency towards having divided opinions, some of the transporters, owners of goods trucks, oil tankers, LPG bullet tankers, tourist buses and taxi service vehicles, such as Tata Sumos or vans appear to be in a different mind. Despite the dangers posed by various groups of anti-social elements, they want to take the Imphal-Dimapur road (NH 39), because this route is better than NH 53. Besides, there are private godowns on this route where the drivers of the oil tankers and LPG bullet tankers can siphon off petrol, diesel and LPG, and mix kerosene and other chemical with petrol and diesel. Thus they earn huge profit. This is a high-level thievery in which a number of people are involved. It can’t be ruled out that not only the drivers and godown owners but also the owners of the vehicles, officials of IOC and State Department of CAF and PD could be involved in this thievery. Police are not expected to be completely unaware of this clandestine business as it has been going on for years right under their nose. But they have no problem as long as they get their cut of the profit. Such secret but well-known godowns are said to be located at many places at Kangpokpi, Senapati, Kanglatongbi, Tadubi, etc in Manipur and at Dimapur, Kohima, etc in Nagaland. It’s from these private godowns that the black-marketeering of petrol, diesel and LPG originated. That’s the simple reason why most of the oil tankers of Manipur numbering about 425 in operation refuse to join the convoy of vehicles escorted by security personnel on NH 53, because there are no private godowns on this route where adulteration of the fuel can take place, and there is no scope of earning huge profit. But as the vehicles keep traversing between Imphal and Silchar on NH 53, such godowns are bound to come up in due course of time.
Apart from the tanker vehicles, other Imphal-Guwahati passenger service vehicles also prefer to ply along NH 39 as it is shorter and better than NH 53. Some of them may break out of the Transporters and Drivers’ Council’s resolutions, which need to be checked. Meanwhile, the State government now looks like it’s faltering in its stand of taking NH 53 as the main life-line as the people of Manipur are demanding. This wavering on part of the State government comes in the wake of the meeting between the Union Home Secretary, GK Pillai and the Chief Secretary of Manipur, DS Poonia and two Additional Chief Secretaries of Nagaland held recently in New Delhi wherein the Home Secretary had assured that Central Para Military Forces would be sent to Manipur to protect the Manipur vehicles on NH 39 and NH 53 from the blockade sponsors. Similarly, four companies of CRPF have already arrived at Imphal for deployment on the two
highways. At the same time, word has come in that the economic blockade imposed by ANSAM and UNC has been suspended “temporarily” from Thursday evening. In this backdrop, coupled with the arrival of additional CRPF companies to protect the vehicles on the two national highways, the government and the truckers may begin to think twice on the stand not to ply along NH 39. It would be not one iota less than digging further our own grave if the government and the transporters ever decide to change their mind. We all should say “nothing doing” whether the anti-Manipur groups suspend their blockade or not. There is no reason at all for the government and the transporters to waver. There’s no reason either for the people of Manipur to celebrate the “temporary suspension” of blockade. Let them impose the blockade forever, the people of Manipur has NH 53 to be connected with the rest of India. One moment of pretentious relief should not make the people forget the eternal woes. Source: Hueiyen News Service
Forget NH 39
Send the Central forces to NH 53
The stand of the Transporters and Drivers’ Council, an apex body of transporters, inter-state trucks and bus owners and drivers that they will not ply the National Highway 39 unless and until the governments of Manipur and Nagaland provide them full proof security on the route without giving room to the various armed militant groups and other civil organizations to interfere in the plying of vehicles deserves full support of the people. The Council must not change its stand. We all know that travelling through Nagaland on NH 39 is NEVER NEVER going to be safe and smooth for anyone –either passenger or driver of any vehicle–from Manipur. It had never been safe and smooth in the past either, and will never be in future as well.
Elaboration is not really necessary as everyone is well familiar with all the dangerous factors. Even if National Highway Protection Force to protect the NH 39 is set up and deployed on the highway starting from Senapati upto Dimapur, it’s absurd to believe that all the dangers and obstructions would suddenly disappear. The dangers would still lurk and the masters of dangers would still hang around. The security personnel are not going to stand in a line all along the highway from Senapati to Dimapur where the outlaws, miscreants, looters, extortionists and anti-Manipur elements mostly carry out their unlawful and inhuman activities. In fact, the NH 39 from beyond Kangpokpi onward upto Dimapur in Nagaland is under complete control of criminals, as the Transporters and Divers’ Council has indirectly pointed out. Though there are some police outposts in Manipur sector and Nagaland sector of the NH 39, they are only for name’s sake. They never lift a finger against the criminal activities carried out by the Naga militants and other collaborators. What the police of the two states in their respective jurisdictions are concerned most is collection of daily taxes that never reach the state official coffers.
Presuming that the NH 39 is open to the vehicles of Manipur with central forces deployed here and there on the highway, and once the trucks, oil tankers, LPG bullet tankers, buses and other taxi service vehicles resume plying between Imphal and Dimapur or Imphal and Guwahati, the burdens of illegal taxes would once again be loaded on the heads of the owners and drivers. The burdens may by all means be 100% more this time than earlier to make up for the loss of the past nearly two months. And what’s more, this time it’s going to be done with a vengeance. Anyone who shows the slightest sign of reluctance and hesitation is most likely to pay heavily. The unfortunate ones stand to lose wealth or life or limb. Most of these crimes would be committed in Dimapur where the armed miscreants rule the roost, and the district police and administration look the other way. We say this, and we can’t help but feel this way, because too many incidents had happened in the past where an innumerable number of Manipuris had been victimized. Some had been tortured to death, some had been shot dead, some had been brutally beaten up, some had been buried alive and killed, some women had been molested or raped, and so on. Trucks and taxis belonging to Manipuris had been hijacked never to be recovered. Night super buses had been looted so frequently.
All these incidents happened on the soil of our trusted and good old neighbouring state of Nagaland, and none of the criminals was ever arrested and punished by the Nagaland police, while the Government of Nagaland remained listless most of the times. Imagine, what a neighbour! If any incident happens in Manipur in which a Naga from Nagaland happens to be the victim, one or other organization of that state would call for economic blockade against Manipur. Therefore, the people of Manipur have had enough of trouble in Nagaland, and it’s time every Manipuri realized it. Even despite all these bitter experiences that the people of Manipur have had, if any one or some people from Manipur still decide to traverse the NH 39, he/she/they could do it on his/her/their own risk, and any unwanted eventuality, if any, should not make a cause for the people of Manipur to rise in protest. Therefore, the people’s firm resolution should be to forget the NH 39 and look toward the NH 53, hence the need for the Central forces sent by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to protect the NH 39 to be deployed on NH 53 lock, stock and barrel. The people’s resolution may be changed only when every party concerned in Nagaland picks up the Holy Bible and makes the pledge in front of Jesus on the Cross in the Church that they would never hurt and disturb the travelers from Manipur, and would love their neighbours and be kind to them. Until such a time comes, let’s all forsake the NH 39, very sad to say that.
Lies Revisited
MHA trying to save own face
For the people of Manipur, there’s no doubt to be argued over, that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had unilaterally given consent to the request of Th Muivah, General Secretary of NSCN-IM to visit Somdal in Ukhrul district of Manipur. But when a team of BJP national leaders met the Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram and expressed unhappiness about the tragic situations unfolding in Manipur that resulted from the Centre’s unilateral decision to allow Muivah to visit Manipur, Mr Chidambaram had reportedly told the BJP leaders that the Centre did not take unilateral decision but consulted the Chief Minister of Manipur. That unexpected reply of the Home Minister suddenly sowed the seed of suspicion in the mind of the BJP leaders, who asked the Manipur Pradesh BJP leaders to enquire whether Chief Minister O Ibobi was indeed consulted before Muivah’s proposed visit was finalized. On part of the Chief Minister, O Ibobi or the State government, it was clear that the MHA did not consult the state government. It’s clear that the Centre had already given permission to Muivah to visit his native village, Somdal and other places in Ukhrul and Senapati districts. This could be confirmed from many statements issued by the NSCN-IM during the past forty or so days which expressed its anger and disappointment saying that the MHA had earlier okayed Muivah’s visit to his native village, and now was telling Muivah not to go to Manipur.
Meanwhile, reacting to an editorial comment published in Hindustan Times on June 10, Ravinder Singh, Director of Media and Communication, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India wrote a letter to the editor contradicting the editorial comment and clarifying certain points on June 11. ( The letter to editor was reproduced on the Sunday Varieties page of this newspaper on June 13, Sunday as it was all about the present crisis of Manipur.) Among the points made in the letter, what’s glaring is that “no permission was granted to Muivah by the Centre to visit Manipur.” The letter quoted Home Minister P Chidambaram’s statement issued on May 15 in New Delhi as saying that “Muivah had expressed a desire to visit his native village, Somdal in Ukhrul district, and submitted an itinerary through the interlocutor, R.S. Pandey. Muivah was told that his visit can be facilitated in consultation with the Government of Manipur. The Manipur Government took the stand that such a visit would not be appropriate at this time.” It may be remembered that the State Cabinet took the decision not to allow Muivah to come to Manipur on April 30 last. The Cabinet meeting was held after receiving a secret/crash wireless message from Vandana Kini, Director, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India on April 29 addressed to the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur and the DGP, Government of Manipur saying that Muivah is scheduled to visit Hebron and Ukhrul on way to his village Somdal
between May 2 and 9, that he would attend public meetings at Ukhrul, Senapati and other places, and that “Muivah is a ‘Z+’ category protectee under a special security scheme and he continues to face a serious threat from rival Naga groups and UGs in the North East.” The MHA message asked the Chief Secretary and the DGP to provide “fool proof security arrangements for Muivah during his visit.”
This shows clearly that the MHA had already granted permission to Muivah to visit Somdal much before informing the State Chief Minister about the visit. It was only after the State Cabinet had taken the decision to bar Muivah from entering Manipur on April 30 and the MHA was intimated of the Cabinet decision that Home Minister Chidambaram and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee contacted and tried to persuade Chief Minister Ibobi to allow Muivah to visit his native village. Having failed to persuade Shri Ibobi to change the decision on phone, he was asked to go over to Delhi and discuss the matter. The rest is history. Therefore, it is absolutely clear that whatever statements issued by the Home Minister or officials of the MHA saying that the Government of Manipur was consulted prior to giving Muivah a nod to his proposed visit to Manipur is nothing but lies revisited and an attempt to save their own face, which otherwise was reddening. Source: Hueiyen News Service
Pillai’s Words
By Editorial
Should we take them with a pinch of salt, or sugar?
He United Naga Council (UNC), the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM), the Zeliangrong Students’
Union, Manipur (ZSUM), the Zeliangrong Interim Body(ZIB), the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) of Nagaland, etc have taken strong exception to the State government’s action of proclaiming the presidents of UNC and ANSAM “Wanted”
offenders with a reward of Rs 1 lakh on each of the two persons’ heads a few days back. It’s obvious that they do not really care that the proclamation was made in compliance with the directive of the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench, which actually directed the DGP, Manipur to arrest them and produce them before the court. Now, these Naga organizations have denounced the State government’s action and termed it as a “design to criminalise the UNC for demanding justice for the tribal people.” The UNC has given five day’s ultimatum to the Government of Manipur to revoke the warrant of arrest issued against its president and also to withdraw the bounty of Rs 1 lakh. The UNC had warned that the organization would intensify its agitation on all possible fronts, if the government fails to do the needful within the stipulated time. Four days have already passed since the press release of the UNC was issued. Other constituent organizations of the UNC and other like-minded Naga CSOs would automatically support the UNC in its agitation which includes the total and indefinite blockade on the two national highways–39 and 53. There’s no doubt that the Naga CSOs are always united whenever they launch an agitation against the Government of Manipur. While these Naga organizations are determined to continue the agitations including the total blockade in more intensified form, the NSF of Nagaland has said that it was considering to lift the ban on the vehicles with registration numbers of Manipur in their state. This somewhat mellowed change in the NSF’s stand came after they received a “letter of regret” from the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur expressing regret for the incident of May 3 at Mao gate in which the personnel of Manipur Police had barred a team of NSF office-bearers led by its president from entering Manipur. Since then, the NSF has been banning Manipur vehicles from entering the territory of Nagaland. It’s a different story that the Government of Nagaland has not even bothered to react to the NSF’s ban in any manner. Even if the NSF lifts its ban on the Manipur vehicles on Nagaland roads, the blockade still remains in Manipur.
Meanwhile, the Union Home Secretary GK Pillai had told an English TV news channel three days ago that the economic blockade would be lifted within a few days. He did not elaborate on what grounds he believed that the blockade would be lifted. He did not say anything whether he had spoken to the leaders of the Naga CSOs and got an assurance from them in this regard or not. It’s still a mystery to us how he said that the blockade would be lifted in a few days by the Naga organizations without having talks with the Government of Manipur and without having a mutual agreement worked out between the two sides. From what we see at present, neither side appears to be in the mood for talks. The Manipur Police Department has proclaimed the two presidents of UNC and ANSAM as “Wanted” offenders and a reward of Rs 1 lakh to be given to any person who can provide information on the whereabouts of the two persons. On the other hand, the UNC has warned of a more intensified agitation if the government fails to revoke the W/A in five days. So where is the meeting point? The State government has not extended any new invitation to the blockade sponsors for talks. Unless the government engages in talks with the UNC and ANSAM, there seems to be no possibility for bringing an end to the blockade. Or either side has to relent and retract from its stand. It could be the Naga bodies or the State government. Would the government express its regret and say sorry for the whole thing to the Naga bodies like it did in the case of NSF? Or would the Naga bodies do the same to the State government? Either of the two sides playing the ‘apology’ card is simply out of question. It involves the whole gamut of pride, prestige, politics and above all, the public sentiments, and reactions thereof. But we’d like to know what Union Home Secretary GK Pillai had meant when he said last week in Shillong that the Centre’s patience was running out, while warning the Naga bodies to lift the economic blockade. And, again what did he mean when he told the TV news channel that the economic blockade would be lifted in a few days? If he meant what he said, the Centre would have taken up some concrete steps by now to put an end to the blockade. The fact that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has done nothing so far as regards the 60 day-old blockade clearly shows that Pillai did not mean anything he said, he simply uttered whatever came to his mind momentarily and he doesn’t know the reality of the present situation in Manipur. Above all, the MHA or the PMO or the Centre, for that matter, doesn’t really bother about what’s happening in Manipur. This is the most troubling thought that every Manipuri has been saddened with, unfortunately. Source: Hueiyen News Service
Only Violent Option
By Editorial
Steering people and land to doom
The north East Region of India has remained devastated because of a multitude of strifes and troubles especially during the past half a century. Of all the places in this trouble-shattered region, Manipur seems to be the only state weighed down most heavily with numerous complex problems. The loads of troubles and problems are so heavy that the poor state can’t even kneel up and move forward to advancement and progress. While the state of affairs in Manipur is such, the fate of its people is worse. In fact, some “superior beings” whether in uniform or camouflage brandishing various lethal weapons with their muzzles turned towards the heads or chest of the people are always hovering around. Death or injury always hangs over the fate of every man, women and child, especially young men. When death would come and in what form, nobody knows, but it comes to anyone, any time and any where. Death, in the olden days, used to be natural, but not any more in Manipur. Now-a-days, it is so unnatural, so arbitrary and so frequent. Not a single day passes without killing of at least one or two persons or more by the combined security forces or the police commandos alone or unknown persons. What are the reasons that compel the killers to kill a human being so easily as though they are killing a cock or a hen, only the killers know. Sometimes, the public get to know of the motives behind certain killings/murders– and most of the time, they turn out to be petty matters. Anyway, all killing/murders are senseless,
illogical and irrational. For extraordinary circumstances, there should be extraordinary reasons which all logic and arguments can not surpass. But if every individual or group decides to liquidate physicaly any person for a difference in thinking or action, all the human beings will have to remain occupied in killing each other, and the only objective in life and profession of a person will be killing others. Is that what human beings are born for? Don’t the human beings have any other aim to pursue in life? By continuous killings, where will our society head for? Will the killing of persons for a few thousand of rupees or a difference in opinion bring about peace and prosperity to this state? Why do people have to kill people in the first place anyway?
It is high time every person enjoying the privilege of wielding a gun by virtue of being employed in the security service of the state and country or being revolutionaries taking part in the liberation movement of the state took a look afresh at human life and its values. A human life is not a toy that can be manufactured by an industry. It is not an object made to be trampled and torn into tatters. Human life is invaluable. It can not be measured in terms of money or ex gratia. Every human should respect every other human. For a wrong done by a human out of ignorance or negligence or even knowingly, there are always socially acceptable ways to make him/her regret for it without necessarily having to torture, harass or physically execute the so called wrong doer. Even for differences in faith, beliefs, ideologies, etc there are ways such as discourse, negotiations, etc to thrash out the differences in harmless manner. The instances of killings and violence committed by armed forces and militants alike in Manipur have reached the point of intolerability. The time has come for every armed section to put an end to all these gory activities and realise that such violence will never do any good to the people and the land, rather it will steer all of us into atavism and doom. Source: Hueiyen News Service
Double Trouble
By Editorial
From artificial catastrophe to natural disaster
The people of Manipur have been facing acute shortage of essential commodities, petroleum products, construction ma
terials, medicines, etc for the past nearly two months because of the indefinite total blockade imposed on the National Highways 39 and 53 by All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and United Naga Council (UNC) for some demands which more than half of the tribal population of Manipur obviously do not subscribe to. The price of every single item of commodity is so high that the poor families or the families with low income are beginning to learn to live without certain commodities, such as cooking gas (LPG), petrol, diesel, kerosene, onion, etc. It’s not easy for a lower middle-class family to pay Rs 1,500 for an LPG-filled cylinder, Rs 150 for a litre of petrol or Rs 28 to 30 for one kg of onion and so on. This artificial price hike is unprecedented in Manipur. One 50-kg bag of super-fine rice which cost Rs 500 in the Public Distribution System (PDS) as fixed by the government is said to cost Rs 1200 or Rs 1300 at the market. Even at that price, the super-fine rice is not available at the markets now. The Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution System (CAF & PD), Government of Manipur has not distributed the essential commodities such as super-fine rice for BPL or APL, sugar, dal, oil, kerosene, etc, to the ration card holders for the past several months, since even before the total blockade started. The Minister of CAF & PD, Y Irabot had said during the early part of the blockade that there’s enough stock of rice in the government godown at Sangaiprou for the people to last many days. Since then, a number of truck-loads of rice had been brought to the government godown at least three or four times under security escorts. Now, we assume, the godown at Sangaiprou must be filled to the brim with rice. But, what’s astonishing is that the Department of CAF & PD has not taken steps to distribute the rice to the card holders at this time when the people are barely able to bear the hardship. Why is the department keeping the stock of rice undistributed at the godown, and what is it waiting for? But, people of high positions in the government and people from outside the government with connections with the powers that be always get the PDS rice and have no problem. It’s only the common men, with no connections, who actually suffer.
Amid all these trouble and catastrophe-like situation, as if what the people are facing at present are not enough, mother nature has poured down another disaster on the people of Manipur valley. As a result of heavy rainfalls during the past few days, all ponds, ditches, drainages, rivers and lakes in the valley are filled with rain water. Some of the rivers are flowing above the danger mark while some are already overflowing. The Nambul river is overflowing in many places inundating vast residential areas. Uripok, Sagolband and nearby areas including Paona Bazar in the heart of Imphal city have been flooded. Reports of flood in other places in the valley are also being received at the time of writing this editorial. Reports say that the water level in the major rivers like Imphal river and Iril river is rising by the minutes and hours. It’s likely that the major rivers will flow to the brim within the next 12 hours if the rainfall doesn’t stop in the hill areas from where the rivers originated and flow through down to the valley. But, as meteorologists have forwarned, it’s still going to rain cats and dogs during the next few days in parts of the NE region including Manipur. Though thousands of families have already been affected by flood in vast areas in Imphal West district at the moment, it’s somewhat comforting, on the other hand, to think that the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD), Government of Manipur had completed construction of concrete retaining walls on the banks of the flood-prone major rivers one year back. Flood through the breach of banks of any major river is what’s most dangerous and devastating. At least, that kind of flood may not happen any more, taking into account the construction of concrete retaining walls on the banks of the major rivers. However, we can never take anything for granted when it comes to mother nature’s fury, compounded with human selfishness, carelessness and error. But let’s hope for the best with the thought that the IFCD has taken care of all the nitty-gritty of flood control exercises. At the same time, the authorities concerned can’t afford to remain complacent and asleep. Enough of crises and disasters, let’s not have more. Source: Hueiyen News Service
