Six taxis damaged on NH-39

IMPHAL: Highway bandh supporters damaged at least six taxis loaded with essential commodities of Myanmarese and Chinese origin travelling along National Highway 39 at Chandel district in the wee hours of Monday.

The commodities, including foodstuff and household items, were brought from a Myanmarese market at Namphalong close to the border town of Moreh, the end point of NH 39, sources said.

Besides damaging the six taxis at Thamnapokpi village area in Chandel, the bandh supporters, whose identities are yet to be ascertained, also forced a large number of Imphal-bound vehicles to move back to the border town of Moreh, sources added.

Meanwhile, 475 trucks laden with commodities from Assam and its neighbouring states reached Imphal along NH 53, which is in a deplorable condition, in the afternoon under heavy security arrangements.

Denouncing the state government's alleged attempt to bifurcate Naga-dominated areas to create new districts in Manipur, the United Naga Council (UNC) has been imposing an indefinite total bandh in 'Naga areas' since August 21.

This came in the face of the Sadar Hills District-hood Demand Committee (SHDDC)-sponsored economic blockade on NH-39 and NH-53 since August 1 and an indefinite general strike at Sadar Hills in Senapati in pursuit of its decades-old demand for creation of a separate district.

On the other hand, the SHDDC has resolved to go on with its agitation with renewed intensity even as the government and many civil society groups continued to appeal to both the agitating bodies to end the stir in view of the acute hardships faced by the public.

A decision to this effect was taken during a leaders' meet convened by the SHDDC at the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi area in Sadar Hills on Sunday.

The SHDDC, in a statement, said the committee on reorganization of administration and police district boundaries is not acceptable to the people and therefore has been rejected.

It also made it clear that they (SHDDC) will not accept the creation of Sadar Hills as a separate district under a different law/act of the state legislature other than the complete implementation of Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 and they will not compromise on the demand even by accepting Sadar Hills as a 'revenue' district. They want a full-fledged district.

The demand to inaugurate Sadar Hills as a full-fledged autonomous district only under the Manipur (Hills Areas) ADC Act, 1971 within a week's time was also raised by the SHDDC.