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Manipur is linked with the rest of the
country through National Highway No-39 which
runs through Nagaland. National Highway No
53 which links the State of Assam with
Imphal runs through Jiribam and the hilly
Tamenglong district. This highway is in a
dilapidated condition with many bridges not
in pliable condition. Successive Governments
have neglected the importance of the
National Highway No. 53 which directly links
Manipur with Assam. The economic blockade
imposed by the All Naga Students'
Association, Manipur (ANSAM) supported by
Naga Students' Federation (NSF), Nagaland
for more than one and half month starting
from July 19, 2005 has put the entire
population of Manipur at ransom. The
scarcity of essential commodities and life
saving drugs had caused untold sufferings to
the general public and the poorer section of
the society in particular. Only now, the
State Government feels the urgency of
developing NH-53 as an alternative to NH-39,
and has to exert pressure to the Centre for
developing it on war footing. Now, the
pertinent question is - “Is the development
of NH-53 the solution to the economic
blockade along NH-39?”
Right, when the buses, trucks ply over NH-39
to and from Manipur through Nagaland taxes
are levied by the NSCN to the tune of crores
of rupees per annum. This is with full
knowledge of the Indian Army and State
security forces. These taxes become the
perennial source of income for NSCN. In the
name of peace talks, they are free to
collect taxes fixed by them from buses and
trucks of Manipur. Further more, the
passengers are often looted and drivers
harassed for no fault of theirs by the
anti-social elements along NH-39. Had ULFA
collected taxes from each and every bus or
truck of Nagaland passing through Assam, how
will the Naga people react? This
introspective question is put to NSCN and
NSF also. They stand for the Naga civil
society, for their autonomy, for their
liberation from the yoke of Indian rule and
for unification of all Nagas in the
neighboring States. When the same treatment
is meted out to the drivers of trucks and
buses of Nagaland and the passengers
traveling therein, how will the Government
and people react?
Within the territory of Manipur, in the hill
districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and
Tamenglong, NSCN is operating without any
hindrance, collecting taxes from
contractors, buses, trucks etc. State forces
which caught NSCN cadres, captured arms and
ammunition were forced to return the same by
the Centre. It is anybody’s guess what the
State security personnel will feel when one
is insulted for discharging his duties
courageously instead of bravery award. Such
treatment has only emboldened the NSCN
cadres to carry out their agenda/program
within the State of Manipur. Since ceasefire
is confined within the territory of
Nagaland, and is not extended to Manipur, it
is quite natural that the State security
personnel take the responsibility of
maintaining law and order in the State. The
Centre and the State Governments should take
a clear stand about NSCN cadres with or
without fire arms within the State of
Manipur. If the arms and ammunition captured
from underground elements are to be returned
as was done earlier in Manipur, will the
Central Government apply the same yard stick
to other underground organizations in
Manipur and elsewhere in the country?
Antisocial elements in Senapati district and
Chandel district loot the passengers in
broad day light as if there is no security
measures to save them from these barbaric
acts. Trucks have to pay heavy taxes per
month to the underground elements as if it
is a legalized one. If this goes on
unhindered and if this is a regular feature,
as it is now, what guarantees the people
when they travel by NH-53 through Tamenglong
which is also infested with Naga underground
and antisocial elements? The need of the
hour is to tighten the grip of law and order
in the hill districts of Manipur with the
full support of the Central Government. Any
highway, No. 39, 53 or 150 will not be safe
until and unless the underground
organizations of the hills and the valley
are made to feel that the disruption of
highways will cost them dearly. One wonders
how the Central Government was in deep
slumber when the entire population of
Manipur cries for want of essential
commodities following the indefinite
economic blockade by ANSAM and NSF for one
and half month. It is a pity to see
thousands of people queuing up from 2 am to
5 pm for 2 liters, 3 liters or 5 liters of
petrol at the oil pumps which start issuing
petrol from 6.30 or 7.00 a.m. Only when BJP
pulled up Congress led State and Central
Governments for failing to discharge its
Constitutional obligation, in the backdrop
of the indefinite economic blockade by ANSAM
& NSF for the last 45 days, the Home
Minister took the measure to air-lift the
following day 40 tonnes of life saving drugs
and some other essential commodities which
is far below the one-day requirement of the
State. We do appreciate the initiative taken
by Home Minister, even if it is too late.
However, as a matter of policy, one cannot
but question the wisdom of Home Minister.
Will the Central Government be able to
provide by airlifting the essential
commodities for 25 lakh people of Manipur
daily? It is absurd. Further if a student
organization in UP or Bihar imposes similar
economic blockade on all the National
Highways passing through their State for one
or two months to press their demand, shall
the Centre adopt air dropping measure for
the people of the State and the States
beyond. A definite absurdity. It is nothing
but an exposure of the weaknesses on the
part of Central and State Governments. I am
of the opinion that such attitude of the
Government will surely have a negative
effect on the internal security of the
country.
In the State of Manipur, one witnesses the
failure of the Government on so many fronts,
particularly on the law and order front. Not
a single day passes without
bandhs/blockades/general strikes, killing or
shooting of somebody by somebody. Some
organizations take the decisions themselves
and give punishment which they think fit.
Many persons are killed or rendered unfit
for life as if the value of human life in
Manipur is cheaper than a chicken. Nobody is
punished for such heinous crime by the Govt.
The State Government seems to be a helpless
spectator of these killings of somebody by
somebody else almost daily. On the other
hand free medical camps at remote villages
in Manipur are arranged at the instance of
student and social organizations but not by
the Government. This exposes the impotency
of the State Government.
The security of the individuals is at stake.
Underground organization, numbering around
20, operating in the state are busy
collecting funds, demanding huge sum of
money from businessmen, contractors,
officers, teachers, doctors, public
establishments, private establishments etc.
Apart from this, contract works or
Government supplies in almost all the
departments are executed by individuals or
groups sponsored by the underground
elements. Sometimes, the same work program
is being pursued by two or three underground
organizations and the authorities often
become helpless in deciding to who the work
order is to be issued. The recent
publications by college student unions of
Manipur in the local dailies expressing
displeasure for taxing on the teachers by
underground elements and for stalling the
construction works of the college because of
struggle for execution of the same work by
two group is enough proof of rejection by
the student bodies.
The Government is blind to all sorts of
malpractices in the Education Department
since the last two decades or so. A good
number of fake appointments, illegal
withdrawal of pay and pension,
misappropriation of fund etc are brought to
light by social organizations. The
Government fails to take up appropriate
actions unless an accusing finger is raised.
Every now and then, the attendance of the
teachers especially in the rural and hill
areas are checked by the student
organizations. This is because of two main
reasons - (i) lack of responsibility on the
part of the teachers (ii) Absence of
mechanism in the Government set-up to check,
monitor and rectify the lapses. The student
bodies regularly carry out inspection of
schools, find faults of teachers and other
employees and publicize it. The moral of the
teachers is given a death blow. The
existence of a representative Government
becomes quite irrelevant as it fails to
discharge the Constitutional obligations. It
is likened to a situation of giving orders
to his parents by his son but not by the
elders of the parents. This happens when
guardians are worthless, irresponsible and
when there is no order in the house. This
pitiable picture is what we see in Manipur.
In the name of some organization, the
workers/cadres use filthy languages towards
the elders for failing to meet their demands
which are very difficult to swallow by the
ageing people who spent the best part of
their life in a very disciplined and orderly
way.
The voluntary retirement of many reputed
senior doctors, engineers, teachers,
officers etc. under the Govt. of Manipur is
a testimony of the hostile environment in
the State. We must not forget 'Discipline is
the backbone of any civilized society'.
Punishment is given for lapses or
irregularities on the part of the Government
employees by the underground organizations
but not by the employer i.e. State Govt.
Shooting at the leg if not killed by the
underground elements for alleged negligence
of duty, offences/ malpractices by the
teachers, doctors, officers etc has become
the order of the day. The abduction and
subsequent shooting at the legs of the Vice
Chancellor and the Registrar of Manipur
University is still fresh in the minds of
the people. In a nutshell the security of
the people is not at all guaranteed nor
there is proper mechanism to check the
irregularities in the Government set-up.
When the ‘people of Manipur are reeling
under the impact of indefinite economic
blockade, some underground organizations of
the valley are busy in collecting money from
the people as if they have nothing to do for
the welfare of the people at the time of
distress. Any movement without the tacit
support of the mass base will not last long.
When people have to pay heavy taxes towards
the underground elements for fear of
security of life over and above the
legalized taxes paid to the Government,
nobody is willing to earn money through hard
work by pious means. Nobody is willing to
discharge his/her duty faithfully, be it in
the teaching profession or in medical
profession, when a good amount of his/her
hard earned money is confiscated. The
ultimate result will be a very slow pace of
development in all fields. I sincerely
appeal to all the brothers and sisters of
social organizations that any action taken
up by them should not be anti people, for,
in the ultimate analysis, they stand for the
good cause of the people within and without
the State. Manipur has multi-ethnic society
from time immemorial and as such we have to
think and act for the welfare of the state
as a whole leaving aside the sectarian egos
and ethos.
We need a strong, effective and efficient
Government which rules, a Government which
protects the life and security of the
people. We want to see a bright and
prosperous Manipur free from bandhs,
blockades and strikes. If law and order is
not properly maintained in the State, this
will not become a reality. Solving the
insurgency problem in the North-eastern
States including Manipur will be a key to
the progress of these States. Mainland India should also understand
that the neglect of these north eastern
States by the Centre for the last five
decades has created the present state of
anarchy in this region. Political solution
is the best option as we have seen in the
case of Mizoram, although problems do differ
from State to State. Even though initiative
for political solution of Naga problem has
already been taken up for Nagaland, and of
late for Assam, unfortunately no serious
effort has been made in this direction for
Manipur by the State and the Central
Governments. A concerted effort will be in
the best interest of the people of the
State. |
