Security Firmed up Along Manipur Highways

By Iboyaima Laithangbam

Imphal, Aug 6 : In a show of the tough stand taken by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram against the Naga outfits imposing frequent blockades against Manipur, a large number of security forces have been deployed along the two lifeline highways of the State to prevent the destructive activities of tribal miscreants.

Heavily armed personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and Indian Reserve Battalion are policing the highways.

According to reports, 122 trucks carrying fuel and consumer goods along NH 39 reached Imphal on Wednesday, while most of the 433 Imphal-bound trucks from Jiribam along NH 53 arrived on Tuesday.

The stepped up security came in the backdrop of the refusal by the United Naga Council (UNC) and the All-Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) to attend the meeting convened by the Manipur government. The leaders of these two organizations had stayed away, saying that the meeting was a ploy to arrest them, the government having declared them as wanted. During the 68-day blockade, the Centre was accused of giving kid-glove treatment to the Naga outfits, said to be the frontal organizations of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) [Isak-Muivah].

Initially, Mr. Chidambaram also asked the Manipur government to allow the NSCN(IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah to visit his ancestral village for having eschewed violence, and come to India at the government's invitation to hold peace talks.

However, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had briefed the Home Minister on the ground realities and how Mr. Muivah's seemingly innocuous visit would ignite the communal tinder.

After symbolic airlifting of rice, other consumer items and life-saving drugs, eventually, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the Naga leaders to lift the blockade. The 68-day blockade was “temporarily suspended” on June 18.

Justifying the re-imposition of the blockade from Wednesday for 20 days, Samson Remei, the ‘wanted' president of the UNC, told journalists that the Centre was not paying attention to its demands. The UNC is demanding a judicial inquiry into the May 5 killing of two activists at the Mao gate, withdrawal of State forces from the ‘Naga areas,' lifting of prohibitory orders from the hill areas, and nullification of the Autonomous District Council election results.

Earlier, the UNC had announced that the Nagas had snapped off all ties with the Manipur government.

Despite being ‘wanted,' Remei continues to live at his home in Senapati district.

As per Mr. Chidambaram's announcement in the Rajya Sabha to make petrol and essential commodities available to the people, the Manipur government has started requisitioning trucks and tankers. As both the highways are policed by the security forces these vehicles are plying without any obstructions.