By Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Imphal, Aug 8 : Life in Manipur’s Senapati district has remained crippled for the past few days with supporters of an agitation for creation of a separate Sadar Hills district turning violent. Those taking part in the agitation have set afire government offices and vehicles on the national highway.
While the current phase of the agitation had begun on August 1, the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) has blocked National Highway 39, which links Manipur to the outside world through Nagaland, for the past four days. Several trucks and other vehicles have been set afire, as also a number of government offices.
The SHDDC also blocked portions of the NH-53 and warned of extending the blockade if the government failed to accede to its demand by Sunday night.
The SHDDC is primarily calling for a separate district with those areas under Senapati district that have a dominance of the Kuki community.
The All Naga Students’ Association of Manipur has said that the government would have to take the views of the Naga tribes of the district before taking any decision on the separate district demand. “We would like to remind the government that creation of a separate Sadar Hills district will not be allowed by carving out portions of the Naga-dominated Senapati district,” the student body said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, reports from Imphal said supporters of the agitation have set afire several government buildings, including the office of additional deputy commissioner, district inspector of schools, a post office and primary health center in the past few days.
Efforts by the state government to resolve the crisis have hardly had any impact. While Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh held discussions with a delegation of the SHDDC on Friday, agitators blocked the highway at several places by placing boulders, felling trees and digging pits.
At least 92 km of NH-39 passes through the district.
Committee To Intensify Agitation in Manipur
A local committee today said that they would intensify their agitation to press their demand for conversion of Sadar Hills area in Senapati district into full fledged district in Manipur, a committee spokesman said.
The spokesman of the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) told local media that they have been blocking the national highway 39 (Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati) for some days to press their demand but authorities were quite ignorant of their demand.”
Official sources confirmed that some offices and vehicles were destroyed during the economic blockade on national highway 39 for the past some days and added that security personnel have been deployed in the area to bring trucks with essential items coming from Guwahati to bring back to Imphal.
Kuki-majority Sadar hills area in Manipur's Naga-majority Senapati district wants to form a separate full fledged revenue district.
All Naga Students Association Manipur and some Naga civil organizations said that they would not allow Sadar Hills area become a full fledged revenue district before consulting Naga civil organisations, reports from the district said.
However, SHDDC sources said Sadar hills should be converted into a full revenue district because people residing in the area faced problems while going to district headquarters.
Sources said Manipur government had earlier decided to convert Sadar Hills into a full fledged district but withdrew their decision in the last minute.
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