Meitei body urges Okram govt to end Sadar Hills crisis

IMPHAL: Taking serious note of the sufferings of people owing to economic blockades on national highways, the Manipur Peace Making Mission (MPMM), a body set up recently by two Meitei Christian organizations, has appealed to the Okram Ibobi Singh government to resolve the crisis amicably.

The MPMM also urged the church leaders to appeal to the agitating Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) and United Naga Council (UNC) leaders to free the supply routes and seek an alternative stir in a democratic manner.

The SHDDC has been imposing economic blockade on the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Silchar routes since August 1 in pursuit of its decades old demand to create Sadar Hills district.

On the other hand, the UNC has also called a similar stir on the same routes to denounce the state government's alleged attempt to create new district by bifurcating Naga-dominated areas of Manipur. MPMM president N Dayananda Singh, in a statement on Wednesday

Resolving the present crisis amicably would be a shower of blessings to the people of the state, said MPMM president N Dayananda Singh, in a statement released on Wednesday, said resolving the present crisis amicably would be a blessings for the people of the state.

The MPMM is a joint body of two Meitei Christian organizations - New Earth Way (New) Manipur and Manipur Christian Foundation (MCF). MPMM's appeal followed a meeting of its executive body convened in Imphal on Wednesday.

On the other hand, over 200 trucks loaded with essential commodities from Assam and its neighboring states reached Imphal along the deplorable Imphal-Silchar route under heavy security arrangements on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, responding to the call of the government, six licensed guns have so far been deposited by people at Kangpokpi and Sapermeina police stations in Sadar Hills of Senapati district. Two weeks ago, the state cabinet, in a bid to crack the whip on the agitators, decided to confiscate all licensed guns to the people of Sadar Hills. It also resolved to register FIRs against SHDDC leaders. Despite the decision, no SHDDC leader has been arrested yet.