For 69 long tortuous days, Manipur, on the Indo-Myanmar border, suffered untold miseries as the Central Government remained a mute spectator. The Centre behaved as if it had no responsibility towards the people of the state. The economic blockade organised by Naga groups pushed Manipur to the verge of a total breakdown with the stocks of all essential commodities, including food, fuel and life saving drugs, almost dried up. It was only after the Guwahati High Court intervened and ordered the Central Government and the State Governments of Manipur and Nagaland to keep NH-53 and NH-39 free from all obstructions that the Centre woke up. Presumably apprehending contempt proceedings against the Centre in case of violation of judicial orders, the Union Home Secretary G K Pillai held consultations with senior officers of the two state governments and ordered the deployment of forces on the two highways to restore movement of trucks and other vehicles. Aware of the impending police action, Naga Students Federation too sent a delegation to call on the Prime Minister and announced a “temporary” withdrawal of the blockade on “PM’s request”.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who famously spent sleepless nights over the arrest in a foreign land of an Indian – a Muslim to boot – on a terror-related issue, had no problem in sleeping over the issue for more than two months. He found time to “appeal” to the insurgents to end the blockade after a lot of damage had already been done. As is the norm, the Government that was pushed by judicial intervention to take action, belatedly came out with grandiose announcements about its commitment to keep both the national highways open for movement of goods and men. One is not amused. Will the Government tell the people what happened to its “commitment” during the crippling blockade? We, the people of India, including the all powerful media, are also guilty of being grossly insensitive to the agony of Manipur. Is it because they are repository of the pristine glory of Indian culture and are passionately patriotic? It is a matter of great gratification that despite the shabby manner in which the Indian Government and public leaders belonging to all walks of life did almost nothing, barring making an occasional noise, there is no anti-Indian sentiment in the state. This is in sharp contrast to the situation in Kashmir valley, where a partial blockade for a few days last year evoked sharp anti-India demonstrations and an anti-national “march to Pakistan”. Isn’t it a shame that sections of mainline media had blamed the people of Jammu for launching a counter agitation that, they said, provoked anti-Indian sentiments in the valley?
Although Naga groups have other grouses, immediate provocation for the blockades were the Manipur Government’s refusal to allow the NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah to visit his native place in the state. Taking note of a communication from the Union Government that Muivah would address public rallies in Naga-dominated areas during his visit; the state government banned his entry into the state. In protest, Muivah camped on the Nagaland-Manipur border demanding permission to visit his ancestral village. His protests led to violent clashes. The State Government’s firm stand forced the Naga leader to return empty handed a few days later. Manipur has been resisting with all the force at its command to the Naga groups demand for a Greater Naga land by merging Naga-populated areas in Manipur and other neighbouring states. It is in this context that Manipur Government refused to permit the Naga leader addressing public meetings in the state. It was, and is, apprehensive that Naga leader’s campaign might lead to riots and affect normal life in the state. NSCN-IM’s view is that it has a democratic right to canvass its view on the issue by holding public meetings and rallies. The Centre’s failure to deal with this extremely sensitive issue involving redrawing of states’ boundaries by creating a congenial atmosphere for a negotiated settlement has played no mean role in the deterioration of political climate in the North-East. The festering problems in the North-East have failed to attract determined action on the part of the Government. This raises the pertinent question namely weather the political class is less sensitive to situation in North-East than other regions of India.
Blockades and disruption of movements of goods in the North-East have hurt the economy of the region and made lives of people living in that far off region miserable. Food grains allocated for distribution in North-Eastern states through PDS are routinely sold in Delhi that ultimately finds its way to the black market. Politicians and officials line their pockets while the people in the BPL category continue to suffer. Insurgent groups with active help from the church and countries inimical to us have sprung up in several states in the region. Extortions by resorting to abductions and threats of violence and collection of “taxes” by terror groups are an unacceptable burden on the people of the region. During the recent blockade of Manipur, prices of all essential commodities shot up exponentially. According to reports in the local media, an LPG cylinder in Imphal’s grey market cost RS 1300 to 1500. Petrol was sold at RS 90 to 120 per litre. People were forced to consume packed food that was past expiry date. Oil pumps remained closed so did the ration shops. Most essential commodities are still scare and people are forced to pay exorbitant prices for petroleum prices and groceries.
Blockages are officially over but there is no end to Manipuri’s woes. Transporters are extremely hesitant to ply their trucks and buses on NH-39 since there is hardly any guarantee of security on large tracts of the highway that fall in Nagaland. Insurgents enforce “heavy taxes” on vehicles pushing up the prices. State Government’s writ doesn’t run in Nagaland. Besides the economic distress, the emotional strain is more telling. Widely held perception of the people in North-East is that the rest of India is not sensitive to their problems and woes. It is an explosive situation that is exploited by vested interests and separatists to arouse passions. The Government of India and the civil society must rise to the occasion lest we sent across wrong signals to that sensitive region.
