IMPHAL: After experiencing the impact of 120 days of economic blockade in the national highways Manipur heaves a sigh of relief on Monday after the United Naga Council (UNC) announced in Tamenglong district hadquarters that it would lift the agitation from 6 am of November 29.
According to the UNC, it had decided to lift the economic blockade on three conditions viz, the assurance from Union home minister P Chidambaram to the Naga body on the Sadar Hills issue; the various appeals from the church and civil organisations to lift the blockade; and also taking into account the suffering of the people because of the impact of economic blockade.
Meanwhile, UNC information secretary S Milan informed Newmai News Network that Union home minister P Chidambaram who met the UNC delegation in New Delhi on November 22 had assured that the government of Manipur would not be allowed to take any unilateral decision on the Sadar Hills issue. This verbal assurance was followed by a written assurance from the Ministry of Home Affairs that came to the UNC on November 24. S Milan however said the ongoing one hour public curfew that has been ongoing in Naga areas of Manipur from 12 noon will continue until further notice. The UNC leader then asked all the Naga tribe organisations and the Naga public to remain alert to face any eventuality in case the government of Manipur takes any unilateral decision on the Sadar Hills issue.
It can be noted that Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) had imposed an indefinite economic blockade along the national highways leading to Manipur from August 1 which converted to indefinite bandh in Sadar Hills area after two days following the killing of three persons during the agitation. The SHDDC has been demanding the granting of Sadar Hills a full fledged district status. To this the Nagas under the aegis of the United Naga Council protested saying no ‘Naga areas’ be bifurcated to create the Sadar Hills district, which is a Kuki dominated area in the Naga dominated Senapati district in Manipur.
Over 60 vehicles has been burnt down by both the SHDDC and UNC volunteers during the agitation.
The state has been facing price rise and scarcity of petroleum products due to the blockade. (NNN)