Manipur learns to live with longest blockade

Imphal, Oct. 10: The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee-sponsored blockade has earned the dubious distinction of being the longest economic blockade not only in Manipur but perhaps in the entire country.

The 25 lakh blockade-saturated people of the state, however, have stopped lamenting about the inconveniences, and are learning the virtues of frugality instead.

The blockade imposed on Imphal-Dimapur (NH-39) and Imphal-Jiribam (NH-37) highways, demanding creation of Sadar Hills district out of Senapati district, entered its 70th day today.

Before this, the longest blockade was imposed by the All Naga Students Association, Manipur, with full support from the United Naga Council (UNC). They blocked supply to Imphal from outside the state for 68 days against holding of district council elections as well as an alternative administrative arrangement for Nagas in Manipur last year.

The blockade came shortly before the Okram Ibobi Singh government prevented NSCN (I-M) leader Th. Muivah from entering Manipur through Mao Gate, along the Imphal-Dimapur highway last year.

The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee reviewed its course of agitation on October 1 and decided not to change its stand on the blockade until the district was created.

Apart from the Sadar Hills blockade, the UNC also imposed a blockade on the same routes since August 21 midnight to oppose inclusion of Naga villages while the Sadar Hills district was created.

Though the government tried hard to restore normal supply of essential commodities, fuel and cooking gas supply continues to be a problem.

People stand in long queues before fuel pumps for a few litres of petrol and diesel, while others are buying petrol at Rs 100 per litre from the black market. One cylinder of cooking gas is being sold at Rs 1,000.

Prices of food items are coming down slowly, with supply coming in steadily along the Imphal-Jiribam highway with security escorts.

The government did not make any attempt to reopen the Imphal-Dimapur highway, the main supply route. Instead, it constituted a committee to look into the boundary of the proposed district.

The committee held a public hearing to listen to claims and counter-claims of interested parties, but reports are yet to be submitted. The demand committee and the UNC stayed away from the public hearing.

Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh had promised the demand committee a government decision on the district creation after getting a report from the committee.

People in the valley have now learnt to live with the blockade. “Let them continue with the blockade forever. The blockade has taught us the lesson of not being bashful. We have reduced consumption of oil, potato or onion. The government is not doing anything. They are also not going to lift it. What can we, the common people, do? The best way is to learn to live with the blockade,” Md Jahangir, a rickshaw-puller in Imphal city said.