Decision on agitation only after consultations are over: Committee
A rally at Noney in Manipur on Friday, protesting against the demand for creation of the Sadar Hills district. Picture by UB Photos
Imphal, Aug 30 : The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee has started seeking the opinion of the public on the next course of agitation by holding public meetings from today.
The first meeting was organised at Gangpiphai of Sadar Hills along the Imphal-Senapati highway. A large number people residing in and around the area attended the meeting.
Leaders of the demand committee and an MLA from Sadar Hills, Haoklholet Kipgen, attended the meeting.
A source in the demand committee said more meetings would be held before the committee took a final decision.
“A final decision would be taken on whether the agitation should continue further or be suspended temporarily only after the meetings are over. No decision was taken today,” the source said.
Another public meeting will be held at Kangpokpi, the headquarters of Sadar Hills, tomorrow. The committee also plans to hold meetings at Saikhul and Keithelmanbi to seek peoples’ opinion.
The decision to seek public opinion on the agitation came after the Okram Ibobi Singh government constituted an official-level committee to examine the boundary and police jurisdiction of the proposed boundary.
The official committee was asked to submit its report within three months. President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also assured a delegation which met them in New Delhi that the matter would be looked into.
Sources said Ibobi Singh constituted the committee after the Centre “advised” him to resolve the Sadar Hills issue.
The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee launched its indefinite agitation on the midnight of July 31 to put pressure on Ibobi Singh government to create the district.
As a result of the strike, no vehicles, including trucks carrying essential items, were allowed along the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam roads in Sadar Hills areas.
The situation worsened as the United Naga Council also imposed a blockade along these two highways from August 21 demanding that land belonging to Nagas should not be divided while creating Sadar Hills district.
As people in other areas of Manipur are reeling under the impact of the blockade, people in Sadar Hills are suffering too as all activities have come to a standstill, sources said.
Shops and business establishments have remained closed in the Sadar Hills areas since August 1.
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