Imphal, Oct 2 : The people of Manipur, who are reeling under a commodity crisis due to a two-month-long economic blockade along two important routes in the state, might finally get some respite. The agitating Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SDHHC), which has choked the key supply routes - NH 39 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH 53 (Imphal-Silchar) - since August 1, will convene a meeting to decide whether or not to end the blockade. According to a recent notification, NH 39 has become NH 2 and NH 53 has become NH 37.
The decision to hold this meeting was taken in a public meet held at the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi area in Sadar Hills on Saturday, a key leader of the SHDDC informed this reporter. "We will continue the agitation till the next meeting, the date and venue for which are yet to be fixed," he said.
The United Naga Council (UNC) has also called similar stir on the same routes to denounce the state government's alleged attempt to create new districts after bifurcating 'Naga areas'.
SHDDC's Saturday meeting, which also reviewed the 61-day-old agitation, was attended by committee representatives, former and sitting legislatures, members of the Sadar Hills autonomous district council, chairman and chiefs of various villages and church leaders.
"As resolved in today's public meeting, we (SHDDC) will decide whether the stir will continue or not. Though the date is yet to be decided, we may hold the meeting either at Motbung or at Sapermeina," the SHDDC leader said.
Meanwhile, the UNC said in a statement that the Nagas wish for peace and harmony with the neighboring communities, based on mutual respect for each other's right over land and its traditional ownership.
"We respect the genuine aspirations and rights of all communities just as we wish that our aspirations and rights are also respected by others," said the statement, sent by the Naga apex body's publicity wing on Saturday evening.
It said the Nagas have their traditional boundaries, but the state government, despite being fully aware of this fact, has made a deliberate attempt to bifurcate and carve out 'Naga areas' by constituting a committee for Reorganization of Administrative and Police District boundaries to fulfill its design of creating a new district without consulting the Nagas.
"The Nagas are one and will stand together as a people and the economic blockade along the national highways is the collective decision of the Naga people. We are not against any individuals, groups or community but against the state government and its nefarious divide-and-rule policy of pitting one community against the other," the statement added.
0 comments:
Post a Comment