2 Months of Manipur Blockade: An LPG Cylinder for Rs 2,000, Rice at Rs70 a kg!

By Prasanta Mazumdar

Guwahati, Sep 29 : Manipur has been literally held to ransom by two tribal organisations who have enforced ‘economic blockades’ on the two national highways in the state on the issue of the demand for the creation of a new district.

Fifty-eight days into the blockades, the prices of essential commodities have spiraled like never before. According to locals, petrol is being sold at Rs120 to Rs140 and diesel Rs70 a litre in the black market in Manipur capital Imphal.

“An LPG cylinder is being sold at Rs1,600 to Rs2,000 in the black market. We are buying mustard oil at Rs 120 a litre and we presume the one we are buying is also not pure,” said Abdul Haque, leader of All Manipur Students’ Union.
He said the situation wouldn’t have come to such a pass had the government allegedly not connived with the traders. Haque alleged the government remained silent as it was getting its share from the traders.

The situation is said to be worse in the four hill districts where the Nagas are in majority. “Can one imagine how difficult living could be when rice is sold at Rs70 a kg?” asked Julie Singlai, leader of an Ukhrul-based students’ organisation. Ukhrul is one of the four hill districts in Manipur.

Julie said potatoes and onions were being sold at Rs50 to Rs60 per kg. LPG is out of market at many places in the hill districts. “We get everything from Imphal. However, in the wake of the blockades, there is an acute shortage of the essential items now,” she added.

The government denied there had been any shortage of the essential items. “The situation has improved in the last few days though the prices have gone up to some extent,” minister and government spokesman N Biren told DNA. He said vehicles carrying essential commodities were being escorted into the state through national highway 53.

“We’re doing everything possible to check the prices,” he added. Around a dozen vehicles have been torched by the protestors on national highway 39 ever since the blockades.

It all began on August 1 when the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee imposed economic blockades on NH 39 and 53 demanding the creation of Sadar Hills district. Soon after, the United Naga Council, the apex Naga organisation of Manipur, enforced similar blockades on the same routes in protest against the government’s alleged attempts to bifurcate Naga-dominated areas to create the new district. The tribal Kukis are in majority in Sadar Hills and their demand for the creation of the new district exists since the 70s.

“We’re closely monitoring the situation,” the Manipur government spokesman said. Scores of people had died in ethnic clashes between the Kukis and the Nagas in 1992.