Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Monday escaped unhurt after shots were fired at him and his entourage as he was getting out of his helicopter at the Ukhrul helipad. Ibobi Singh was supposed to inaugurate a 100-bedded hospital at Hunphung amongst other activities. The Chief Minister had to cancel his programme and fly back to Imphal. The hospital proposed to be inaugurated was apparently incomplete and the people of the area had warned that pending completion, no inauguration would be allowed. On Sunday evening, a day before the inauguration some people had also detonated a bomb near the newly constructed hospital, thereby destroying completely the space where the public meeting was to be held.
The chief minister’s team could not move out of the helipad as protesters had blocked the road to the project inauguration site about 1 km away. The perception among the Tangkhul Naga tribes is that Ibobi, a Meitei, is anti-Naga and the inauguration of a half-done hospital was only aimed at garnering votes for the forthcoming assembly elections. Those who have visited Ukhrul would testify that this is one of the least developed districts of Manipur although a former CM – Rishang Keishing hailed from there. Conflict ridden Ukhrul is home to the NSCN(IM) supremo Thuingaleng Muivah but the road to his hamlet in Somdal village is almost non-existent. People are poverty stricken and practice subsistence agriculture although of late due to the intervention of the IFAD – NEC project some livelihoods have been created. The Tangkhuls are enterprising people and a good number have moved out of their villages to seek livelihoods elsewhere. The much trumpeted Naga Peace Framework means nothing for the people of this area if their lives are not going to get better. Their only aspiration is for their children to be educated in good schools, colleges and universities which are not available to them. The Government of Manipur has been accused, and rightly so, for giving a step-motherly treatment to the Naga inhabited hills of the State. Ibobi Singh’s attempts to make amends political amends did not go down too well with the people of Ukhrul who feel a deep sense of alienation. The firing was only an intimidatory tactic. Much worse could have happened had the sharp-shooters been serious.