Centre disappointed after talks to end Manipur blockade fail

Imphal/New Delhi: Tripartite talks to end the over three-month-long economic blockade of a crucial highway in Manipur failed to make any headway on Tuesday with the Naga group spearheading it refusing to relent from its position of allowing seven districts to be carved out.
Official sources said the Centre is disappointed with the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting that took place in Imphal where representative from the Union Home Ministry, state government and United Naga Council (UNC) participated.
All the three had earlier met in the national capital on February 4 and the Centre had expressed hope that the blockade would end soon.
The sources said that earlier the “Manipur government was not cooperating and now the UNC is taking a different stand”.
However, they said efforts will be on to end the blockade of poll-bound state at the earliest. Polling for the 60-member Manipur Assembly is scheduled to be held in two phases next month — March 4 and 8.
After the latest development, the next round of talks are scheduled to be held on March 25.
The National Highway number 2 (NH 2) is blocked since Nov 1 by the UNC cadres leading to normal life being affected. The Council is protesting against creation of seven new districts in the state.
In a statement, the Council said after thorough deliberation that the code of conduct cannot limit the Union of India nor the Governor of the state of Manipur from intervening and fulfilling their Constitutional obligation to safeguard and protect land of the tribal as enshrined in the Constitution. (PTI)