When certain civil society groups can hold a state and its people to ransom for an indefinite period by calling an economic blockade, it is time to think of central rule to bring about order and sanity. The United Naga Council (UNC) had called an economic blockade from November 1 to protest the creation of new districts in Manipur by the State Government without consulting stakeholders. An economic blockade is unconstitutional because it prevent the movement of goods and people. In this case all goods bearing trucks including fuel tankers have not been allowed to enter Manipur either from the Dimapur-Imphal highway or from the Jiribam side. This has led to prices of fuel sky-rocketing to Rs 250 – 300 a liter. Since public movement along the highway is curtailed students and those with meager resources are compelled to take a flight to and from Imphal to and from different destinations. This is the holiday season and students and others living outside Manipur are all travelling home. But their agony knows no bounds as groups in the Imphal valley retaliate against the UNC blockade by pulling out passengers bound for the hills of Manipur from public transports and making a bonfire of their luggage on Sunday November 18. Over twenty public vehicles have also been burnt. While the antagonism between the people living in the hills and the valley is no secret, their methods of calling attention to their grievances have violated the human rights of ordinary citizens. It is the duty of the state to take control of the situation and use its machinery to bring law and order. But when the state represented by a popularly elected government fails to control the situation and actually plays up one group against another then a time has come to impose President’s Rule.
Article 356 empowers the central government to impose “President’s rule” on a State whose constitutional machinery has failed. The Government of Manipur has by all accounts failed to function as per the Constitution, and to ensure safety and security of its citizens. It has failed to ensure the right to free movement of people and goods. Maintaining law and order is the prime remit of the state government. If law and order has failed and central intervention is needed then President’s Rule is the only way out.