Manipur blockade to continue despite poll dates announcement: Naga Council
New Delhi: Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Wednesday met President Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the Ministry of Home Affairs’ report to the Election Commission that termed the law-and-order situation in the state as “grave”.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Singh rubbished the report saying it “wrongly” concluded that the prevailing situation was “not conducive” to conduct free-and-fair polls there.
However, just ahead of Ibobi’s meeting with the President, the EC declared that the Assembly election will be held in two phases — on March 4 and 8 — in Manipur. Ibobi, who was accompanied by Congress’ Manipur election in-charge Ramesh Chennithala at the meeting, welcomed the decision.
“I am told that there is a negative report sent by the MHA to the EC that the law-and-order situation in Manipur is not conducive to conduct a free-and-fair election. It is totally wrong and baseless,” he told reporters.
The chief minister said issues such as insurgency, blockades, strikes are not unique to Manipur but they affect the entire north-east and that even in 2012, the state Assembly polls were boycotted by hill and valley-based underground organisations including the PLA and the UNLF.
“The Congress in particular is not allowed to hold public meetings. But, ultimately the people support the party. They gave it a thumping majority in the last polls and even this time, there will not be any problem.
“We had suggested to the EC that just like earlier, the polls should be conducted in two phases. We are grateful to the commission for the announcement and hope that our party will win this time as well,” the Congress leader said.
Manipur has been witnessing an unrest since November 1 last due to the imposition of an indefinite economic blockade by the United Naga Council (UNC) on the lifeline of the landlocked state, two national highways, and violence following the creation of seven new districts by bifurcating the existing ones.
The ripples of the ongoing economic blockade were felt in the national capital with rival Manipuri and Naga groups staging protests over the tense law and order in the state, our special correspondent from New Delhi adds. While members of the Delhi Manipuri Society highlighted the “humanitarian crisis” due to the indefinite economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council (UNC) since November 1, the Naga groups demanded imposi-tion of President’s Rule in the state. UNC had imposed the blockade against the creation of seven new districts in the landlocked state by bifurcating the existing ones.
A large number of Manipuri youths took part in the day-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar here with posters containing messa-ges demanding an immediate end to the blockade. Meanwhile, members of the Joint Naga Civil Societies demonstra-ted outside Manipur Bhavan alleging that “Manipuri mobs backed by the state government” had “attacked” Naga civilians after December 18.
UNC on Wednesday said they would continue with the economic blockade despite the announcement of Manipur assembly elections by the Election Commission. According to the UNC — apex body of the Nagas based in Manipur — elections cannot be held peacefully in the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur until the prevailing problems are resolved.
“The blockade will continue. Solving of Manipur’s problems has to be done through dialogue between the parties in conflict. So far, the government of Manipur has failed to respond politically. We have no other option but to intensify the blockade, no matter what the Election Commission has announced regarding the polls in the state,” K.S. Paul, former President of the UNC, said.
Paul — an active member of the UNC — said the Manipur government has betrayed the Nagas of Manipur. “We have been betrayed by the Manipur government, as it did not consult us on the creation of seven new districts out of our ancestral land. We do not know whether the situation will be conducive for holding free and fair elections in the Naga areas of the state,” said Paul.
In December last year, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the central government will extend all assistance to restore normalcy in the state. (Agencies)