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05/12/2008: "Sumi & Tangkhul Hoho appeal for peace morungexpress"



Sumi & Tangkhul Hoho appeal for peace morungexpress

Dimapur, May 12 (MExN): The Sumi Hoho and the Tangkhul Hoho today came out in one voice demanding that the warring underground factions put stop to the ongoing bloodbath. The two organizations also took strong note that civilians were being victimized by the factional clashes and called for an end to the “harassment” or killing of innocent public. The Sumi Hoho and the Tangkhul Hoho Nagaland reminded strongly that it is about time the need for reconciliation and unity is realized, to confront common enemies. This is for the reason that the Nagas’ adversaries are taking advantage of the absence of the spirit of accommodation, it stated.
A joint press statement from the two frontals appended by Sumi Hoho president Hokishe Yepthomi and Tangkhul Hoho Nagaland Advisor Joseph Singnaisui was received here today. “The gravity of the present prevailing situation demanded the Sumi Hoho and Nagaland Tangkhul Hoho to appeal to the warring factions of the undergrounds to stop fighting forthwith in and around Dimapur for the peace and tranquility of the public” the press statement said.
“It has been observed that civilians were victimized by the factional clashes. It is therefore urged upon all the factions to restrain from the path of violence and henceforth, no harassment or killing should be inflicted upon the innocent public” the two frontals demanded.
The organizations also reminded that the Nagas would fall into the dragnet of their enemies if the rivalry continues. “It appears that the government of India is adopting the policy of paradigm shift (sic). She is playing the role of catalyst so that Nagas finish themselves” the statement observed. The Naga struggle is not going to fizzle out because of what “our enemies did to us” but because “we are cynical and everyone wants to play the role of vanguard” the two frontals lamented. The spirit of accommodation and acceptance is not there and the Nagas’ enemies are exploiting this disease. “Our enemies has taken advantage of our weakness to destroy us. It is high time for the Nagas to realize that we should reconcile and unite ourselves to confront our common enemies” it stated.
Nagaland Govt. warns armed outfits The Hindu
Kohima (PTI): Nagaland Government has warned underground groups not to undermine its authority and asked them to stop on-going factional killings as they jeopardised public peace.
Expressing concern over spurt in factional violence, particularly in and around Dimapur, Home Minister Imkong Imchen said the groups should not provoke the government to directly execute its authority in the interest of public peace.
"The government's priority was to provide security and comfort to people, and one cannot afford to undermine the strength of the government. It has authority to prosecute violators (of laws) to protect people from insecurity," Imkong told newsmen yesterday at Dimapur after arriving from Delhi.
He said the underground groups have entered into cease-fire accords with the Centre and though the state government was not party to the arrangement, it was honouring it for the larger interest of peace. "But in the event of incitement of violence by underground groups, the state government will be compelled to act," he said.
Factional Fire still Blazing Hard morungexpress
Dimapur, May 12 (MExN): Despite the unending call of Naga civil society, including mothers, and peace initiatives by society and church for cessation of factional fights, fighting between the Naga underground factions continue. A nearly more than two-hour heavy factional fight in Sethekiebasa village in 4th Mile area today left citizens compelled to intervene and chase away the cadres from the public areas. Heavy firing could be heard till 6:50 pm. Residents said that it started around 4:30 pm.
Residents of the Sethekiebasa village maintained that cadres from the Unification camp attacked a group of NSCN (IM) cadres who were resting in a paddy field in the area, resulting in the heavy gunfight. Police however, said that it could not be exactly ascertained who started the fight, since cadres of both the rival NSCN factions were present in the area.
Interestingly, just a few hundred meters away from the paddy fields, on the other side towards South-East, is located Xhelozhe village, Showuba village, Aoyim and finally Vihokhu village, the headquarter of the NSCN/GPRN (Unification), which is “quite far away from the area” though. Sethekiema area, which comprises of five villages, has been a hotbed of factional tension and even witnessed factional clashes in the recent past.
Top police sources, quoting unconfirmed reports, disclosed that one cadre was injured and is admitted in Zion Hospital, Dimapur. Police suspect more injuries or even fatalities, though it could not be ascertained due to the late hour and heavy rain this evening.
However, this evening too, like in Diphupar, the public of the village intervened and chased the cadres away from the public places, into the paddy fields. Some two hundred public appealed the cadres though a loudspeaker to ceasefire. “Morom kori kena itu jaga charedibi. Bosti manu laga jaga chari dibi (‘please vacate this area. leave the village people’s area’),” the loudspeaker appealed. Unintelligible commotion of public, apparently, could be heard from the other side of the paddy field, towards Showuba side.
The area in which the firing took place is mostly inhabited by migrant workers tending fields, residents said.
Some families tending their fields were forced out of their homes and came up to where the public had gathered. They disclosed to have been directed by the underground cadres to leave their homes and leave the vicinity. Some children from the families, scattered during the firing, were reported to be missing.
“First they came and asked if there were other people in our homes…then they asked us to vacate out homes,” said a woman who came up after vacating her home located in the fields.
A resident of the area standing along with the others verbally abused the media. He claimed that the media is “biased” and “does not report the facts.” He alleged that the media is inclined towards one side or the other. He also censured that the administration and the police were not present at the spot of the incident.
However, police personnel from the Diphupar Police station were found to be at the site of the shootout, though they did little to intervene.
The EAC of Chumukedima also arrived at the scene a little later. A busload of IRB jawans lead by SDPO Dimapur I Sungit Jamir and the ADC also followed suit. However, a police official at the spot said that police intervention would not help since it would only ‘aggravate the situation and create more firing.’ Nonetheless, some of the public were quite angry with the police for their inaction.
“See the police is here, but they are standing up there,” remarked a resident angrily.
“The public would say that, but we the police are also with arms and ammunition and the cadres are also with arms and ammunitions, so definitely a clash would ensue,” defended a top police officer adding that the police did not want to take the situation out of hand.
Late night reports from the police said that the situation in the area is tense ‘but under control.’
NOTES FROM A NAGA ELDER Khodao Yanthan | Holder of the Burma Star, Lakhuti Village
Comrades, ladies and Gentlemen,
As we commemorate the 50th Anniversary for Veterans of the Battle of’ Kohima here in York at Imphal Barracks on 30th & 31st July 1994,
We remember our fallen comrades left behind. They could not come home because with their lives paid the price. I can still see their faces vividly in the Naga jungles. Exhausted, unshaven, glowing eyes and munching chewing gum. They have no more life problems, nor age can wear them out. They are in the Naga jungle still whispering, resting in peace.
THE NAGA CONTRIBUTION TO BRITAIN IN TWO WORLD WARS:
In the 1st World War, many thousands of Nagas in the Labour Corps went to distant Flanders, and helped the British armies on the front. In 1942, when the Japanese forces were advancing to Burma, thousands and thousands of Nagas in the Labour Forces cut and made new roads connecting Nagaland to Burma for Army conveyance - to halt the advancing Japanese in Burma. But the 15th Japanese Imperial Army, supported by forces of the Indian ‘National Army’ (they were mostly Indian army deserters) under Subhas Chandra Bose, overran Burma and occupied Nagaland in early 1944. Their objective was to march on Delhi.
The Nagas Wouldn’t let down the British, and they wouldn’t collaborate with the Japanese, as the Indians and the Burmese had been doing in Burma. The Nagas on their part, organised a ‘V-Force’, and helped the British troops in every possible way: In jungle warfare, intelligence, scouting and, carried supplies and the wounded soldiers. And thus, they helped to paralyse the Japanese forces and to save India-from the devastation of war.
As Field Marshal Slior stated: “The war against the Japanese in Burma could not have been won without the support of the Nagas. These gallant Nagas whose loyalty, even in the most depressing times of the invasion, had never faltered. Despite floggings, torture, execution, and the burning of their villages, they refused to aid the Japanese or to betray our troops.”
NAGA SAGA: The mighty Allied forces could not halt the March of the 15th Japanese Imperial Army until they reached the Naga territory. But, on a small HILL in Kohima turned the tide of the World War II in SE Asia. Why because, the Spirits of the Naga ancestors who live on the mountains would not allow Foreign forces to pass through their territory, and that ended so at the Battle of Kohima.
NAGALAND THE VICTIM – LET DOWN BY BRITAIN
After the war, Britain gave Independence to India. But in the most humiliating way, India then occupied Nagaland by force, claiming a legacy inherited from the British Raj. Since then, the Nagas have been suffering under the occupation of the Indian Army, because they have refused to surrender. The Nagas are wondering why the British Government is afraid to speak out openly in support of the Naga cause, in the same spirit of that the Nagas had supported the British in times of their wars. Britain still has a responsibility in the Naga misfortune, because the British left India without resolving the Political case of the Nagas, who will not accept that their Nation should be sacrificed on the altar of the Hindu Pantheon, the Jewel in the British crown.
Imchen’s plea to cadres Staff Reporter Nagaland Post
Dimapur, May 11 (NPN): Expressing serious concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State owing to stepped up factional violence, especially in and around Dimapur, Nagaland Home Minister, Imkong L. Imchen, Sunday appealed to all groups to stop all kinds of killings, kidnappings and extortions.
Addressing a press conference at Hotel Saramati here, Imchen said, “This gun culture and killing of Nagas by Nagas is required to be contained in the highest form by all organizations and individuals”. He said fratricidal killings had crossed all limits of imagination and therefore, it was time to stop the fighting “without any argument”.
The minister said the Naga tribes must regard themselves as members of a football team and put in their efforts to achieve their best destiny. He said one should not think of himself only because the imagination or policy of domination by a single tribe or more to cover the rest of the Naga tribes was neither desirable nor achievable. In this regard, he called upon all the tribes to play a constructive role in order to ensure a harmonious team combination and subsequently achieve the desired objective of the Nagas.
Asserting that the Naga cause with more than 60 years of history cannot be simply thrown away to a “barrel of gun”, Imchen reminded that the Nagas also had the “barrel of peace which I trust will succeed over the barrel of gun”.
“The 1951 Naga plebiscite has mandated for a suffering Naga nation but it has never given mandate to use AK 47 on the Nagas,” the minister said. He maintained that AK 47 did not have the sanction of the Nagas. The minister said the specter of AK 47, ruling over the Nagas, should be “ruthlessly opposed” by the Nagas. He said the government was solidly behind the opinion and desire of the people of Nagaland and that the State and national political parties were also equally united in this context.
Emphasizing on government’s top most priority to fight for security and comfort of its people, the minister cautioned that government has the authority to execute laws to protect its people from insecurity. Therefore, he appealed to all groups to refrain from provoking the government.
To a query, Imchen said “Chief Minister (Neiphiu Rio) has expressed his anxiety about the status of this Unification faction”. He also highlighted the statement of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil that “Unification does not have the legal sanction”. In this regard, Imchen said the union home minister would issue necessary directives as to how the State government should deal with it.
Stating that State government was not a party to agreements between central government and the two NSCN factions, Imchen said “We cannot declare war to undergrounds saying that they are killing people”. Asked whether killings were political or law and order problem, the minister said “it is both” and added “underground is killing in the name of political issue”. He warned the factions to be careful as the Political Affairs Committee (of Nagaland government) had decided to implement the ground rules of ceasefire in letter and spirit.
Alluding to Indian freedom struggle under the banner of Congress which neither killed any Indian nor abducted or kidnapped or extorted from Indians, the minister questioned “What’s the difference with Nagas?”
On excesses committed by police personnel, Imchen said the personnel were performing duties under extreme situation and asked for the people to look into human perspective and emotion. “But it also does not mean that they should be doing whatever they like,” he said. The minister appealed to people to extend their co-operation instead of confronting the personnel during frisking and checking. Also speaking, Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, Maongwati Aier, disclosed that three activists – one each from NSCN (K), NSCN (I-M) and NSCN (Unification) – were currently in the custody of police following their arrest along with nine weapons. NIDC chairman, Nuklutoshi; ADG (Operation), O. Alem; and SP Dimapur, Liremo Lotha; also attended the press conference.
PUBLIC POWER morungexpress Editorial
With increasing evidence of factional clashes and an overt turf war spreading from the rural hinterlands to populated urban areas of Kohima and Dimapur, the much hyped and talked about Ceasefire Ground Rules that the Government of India has signed with the two NSCNs has over the years become a mockery with zero visibility of authority to monitor and implement it. The fact remains that no one seems to be in control of the situation, not the State Government or security forces and definitely not the Ceasefire Monitoring Group/Supervisory Board. To add to this, the continuing intransience on the part of the Government of India has now put serious doubts in the minds of people on whether there is an altogether sinister design to derail the peace reconciliation process being addressed on various fronts.
It is advisable for people themselves to have ownership over the fragile situation. Given the past failures of the establishment, it will be advisable for the general public to claim control instead of hopelessly waiting for the law to protect them. Public intervention last year in Zunheboto during the height of factional killings and how the Hoho, women, churches, etc. were able to mobilize under the platform of the Peace Monitoring Cell Zunheboto (PMCZ) and persuade both NSCN factions to move out of Zunheboto Town, should be taken as both encouraging and worthy of replication. There is no reason why the suitability of similar peace models should not be taken up by people in other regions if a threat to peaceful coexistence arises.
The State Government and the civil society groups should now encourage and support the PMCZ type of micro level initiative centered on local people’s resources, skills, knowledge and their understanding of the situation rather than allowing the process to be stalled in bureaucratic red tape, power struggle and rigid political ideologies. Further, traditional peacemaking skills have to be fully explored in the context of the Naga reconciliation process. Peace Corps such as the PMCZ involving tribal hohos’ women groups and grass root organizations must be supported to work in situations of conflict in their respective zones. If every tribal hoho can work on an individual case basis, that way each community can contribute to the maintenance of several zone of peace and tranquility. After all at the end of the day even the arm cadres of the various groups may not want to risk public support. In the final analysis, sovereign power ultimately rests with the people and not in any leader, group or parties. If nothing, at least this principle has to be respected.
The Naga UG leaders should realize the sovereign power of the people and attempt must be made to involve the public and in carrying their opinions and suggestions along the way so that it becomes a truly people-centred movement and help towards facilitating a democratic peace settlement. The warring armed groups should also put an end to the ceaseless violence and killings and work towards mutually assured peaceful co-existence as opposed to the doctrine of mutually assured destruction. The guns must be silenced and peace given a chance to succeed.
14 hatched plot to kill Kuki chief Nagaland Post
New Delhi, May 12 (TNN): In an interesting development, the special cell of Delhi Police has found that Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) chief Khuplam Hangsing was killed owing to past enmity, and not a financial dispute, as believed earlier. The recently filed chargesheet says that at least 14 people were behind the conspiracy to murder the Kuki rebel leader at his Sriniwaspuri flat last November.
The accused apparently roped in a non-Manipuri hired assassin to avoid detection. One of the arrested, David Changloi, is believed to have been involved in the murder to avenge the death of his brother, Lunktogin Chongloi. Hangsing and his aides killed his brother on August 21, 2007.
Soon after the murder, Changloi, floated a new party, Kuki Republic Army (Unification). He joined hands with the main accused, Tombi Singh, to settle a score. Tombi Singh alias Wahembang Luwangamba, the head of KRA’s rival group United National Liberation Front (UNLF), wanted to avenge the killing of his brother-in-law, Nando, who was maaaurdered on September 18, 2007.
Hangsing had also murdered Yamthing Haokip — the head of another rebel outfit, Kuki INNPI — and had plans of getting rid of D T Haokip, who later joined NSCN (IM).
The killing of 10 Kuki Liberation Army (KLA) cadre in Manipur, carried out at his behest, also acted as a trigger. Hangsing had filmed these killings with his mobile phone and used the clips to threaten rebels, said the police.
Hangsing, who was unwell, had been living in a Sriniwaspuri house with his brother David. On November 11 last year, about a dozen people forced their way into their flat and bludgeoned him to death.
The police found that Hangsing was a self-proclaimed KRA chief that was formed in December 1999 with the support of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NCSN-IM).
The murder was earlier believed to be a fallout of a financial dispute between the Kuki head and the banned outfit, United National Liberation Front (UNLF). Joint Commissioner (Special Cell) Karnal Singh had said that the Manipuri rebel factions were fighting over extortion money, which led to Hangsing’s murder.
The arrest of two BSF constables by the special cell in December — on charges of killing the Kuki chief — led to the arrest of eight more persons in the case. The main accused, Tombi Singh, and three of his associates — Rabi Laikangbam, Raju Khangembam and D.T. Haokip — are on the run.
The cops mainly relied on tracking three mobile phones — having the numbers 9999895223, 9873315102 and 9899618957 — which the assailants had taken away from Hangsing’s house and continued to use from their hideouts.
The phones were found to be used in Punjab and the name of one Priyabrata Haldar came to light. The Delhi Police reached Jalandhar on December 21 from where they picked up Malkit Singh, a BSF constable. His colleague, Wahengbam Thoithoiba Meitei (24), was arrested the next day from Chandigarh. One of the stolen mobile phones was also recovered from him.
According to police, Meitei was Tombi Singh’s cousin who was given the task of executing his plan. He was apparently directed to rope in a non-Manipuri to avoid detection. Meitei offered Malkit Rs 15,000 for helping him and his cousin eliminate their rival Hangsing. Malkit got down in the Capital on November 7 and stayed with Tombi and his accomplices.
Cops found from the call details that the people using 10 numbers were regularly in touch in the months of October and November 2007 — the period preceding the crime.
All the accused had assembled at Bharat Nagar in New Delhi before leaving for Hangsing’s flat in Sriniwaspuri flat.
After the murder, some of them left for Kashmiri Gate, while some went to Gandhi Vihar in north Delhi.
Investigations have revealed that a mole in Hangsing’s house helped the killers. He has been identified as Thangboi, a friend of Hangsing’s younger brother, who used to visit the flat often. He apparently drew a map of the house for the assailants and also helped them find a room on rent. After his arrest, Thangboi identified this room and its owner.
"We got more leads from the arrest of another Manipuri militant, Moirangthem Jayanta Kumar Singh, who was the finance-secretary of UNLF outfit. He was arrested by a police team led by inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in October 2006. His questioning revealed that Luwangamba (Tombi) was involved in the murder," said a senior police officer.
Cops also tracked the Northeast mobile numbers, which were being used in Delhi at the time of the murder, and arrested three other accused — Surenderjit, Dinamani and Ranbir Singh — from Guwahati. Among the arrested, Ranbir was the brother of Tombi Singh.
The cops, who had recorded conversations between Dinamani and Surenderjeet, got the relevant portions translated from Manipuri to English and matched the same with the voice of the accused. Their specimen signatures were also taken to match with signatures on the rent agreement, which will now be used as evidence.
Investigations revealed that Tombi Singh, David and Rabi got themselves arrested at Dimapur in Nagaland under fake identities on January 13 this year, to avoid the Delhi Police. Later, Tombi and Rabi managed to escape from police custody while being taken to hospital.
The Delhi Police, however, managed to arrest David Changloi, N Ojit Kumar, R K Ricky and L Ranbir Singh from Dimapur. They seized a printout of a resume, on the back of which a map of Hangsing’s flat was drawn. The resume belonged to one of the accused, Surenderjit, and the map was probably prepared at Dinamani’s flat in Delhi, says the chargesheet.
Three letters addressed to a Northeast news channel, announcing the formation of KRA (U), were also found. The letters also claimed that Hangsing was killed by the outfit’s special mobile fighting team at Sriniwaspuri.
A case under sections 302 (murder) 394 (robbery), 34 (common intention), 201 (for destruction of evidence) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC have been filed against the accused. The cops are waiting for CFSL reports.
Manipur in quest of healing hand By Thanreingam Muivah Sangai Express
The most recent decision of the State Government to arm villagers to repel insurgents in their surroundings clearly manifests the crumbled law and order situation of the region in which we dwell.
Arson, lootings, extortions, killings and other forms of violence have become a part of one’s daily life in this insurgency-affected tiny State. Having a quick glance at daily newspaper proves beyond doubt. Day and night hardly pass by without hearing the deafening sounds of gun here or there, and not surprisingly an ambulance is being grabbed to transport arms and ammunition which otherwise is meant for carrying patients.
We have also seen many attempts made by the State authority and different groups of armed men to suppress the State media when it does not serve their perpetuation. If bomb could be planted on the desk of a newspaper and if several Acts could be passed on the floor of the House just to dictate the media establishments, we could imagine the state of affairs of the land.
But despite so many restraints, media being the mirror of a society, not even an ounce of ground seems to be at one’s disposal to dispute, for instance, the preoccupations of news and stories related to crime and murder in the front page of every newspaper.
Many organisations each having its own pulling have also led the masses astray in the name of working with welfare oriented objectives. Needless to say about the feigned and lip services of our power-hungry bigwigs who would remain asleep as long as they sit on their chairs.
People have now become sick and restive of umpteen groups of armed men who mask their faces with artificial skin inscribing the slogans of a real soldier struggling for ‘motherland’, but who would not hesitate to go extra miles just for a fistful of rupees and butcher an innocent thereby justifying it to be an act that truly conforms their so-called ‘Revolutionary spirit’.
To its dismay, an administration that runs with a proper hierarchy seems to be non existence in many departments in the State with imposition of several dos and don’ts from without in which the actual intension is nothing more than deducting each share of percentage by many armed groups to sustain their selfish drives. In the name of nationality one can pull the trigger at any given time but in most of the cases without having to manifest any mental attitude that is worth-considering the actual ideology which he is stuck to. Putting all these points in case, our claim that we are served with a step motherly treatment by the Centre is not absolutely unlikely to be countered. Thus, we need to dig deeper to ascertain if such intention of the Centre in dealing with the plight of Manipur really exists. But this does not mean that the people’s sense of isolation (being alienated from the mainland India) is at all our own creation. It is in the light of this situation that our deepest conscience in assessing things is called for.
So the first and foremost thing we need to ponder upon is the kind of atmosphere we have created; if it is really fit to sustain on. But to create such atmosphere that can save the State from facing further deterioration, there should be clarity about the true colour of the land and assess what really hampers its growth at grassroot level.
Among others, social heterogeneity could be one of the main features of Manipur. It is the land where multi-culture, multi-lingual and multi-religion coexist. We can broadly classify the State into the hill areas dominated by the tribals and the plain areas dominated by the Meiteis. Because of the presence of multi-identity, any attempt to homogenise the social structure of the region usually ends up inviting chaos.
The disadvantageous geographical location of the State is one of the main stumbling blocks to its economic development. According to study, the North East region (State of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura) as a whole shares less than one per cent of its borders with the rest of the country, and the rest with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Tibetan region of China. This international border has been artificially created. The outcome has been the elimination of the region’s trade, commerce and other linkages which existed in the pre-partition days. There has been talk of converting this locational disadvantage into a boon because of an increasingly integrated world economy. This is particularly so when all the seven States of the region are on international borders. In addition, these States are very close to the dynamic South-East Asian economies. Most policy makers in the region are excited and optimistic about the idea of linking their economics with dynamic Asia. There are suggestions that if for security reasons, the Government of India is reluctant to open up the natural trade routes, the North East States should ask the Central Govt to compensate them for the loss of trade. Thus, coherent policy thinking in this area should be developed.
Secondly, the weakness of India’s foreign policy. Besides failure of the economic policy framework in the region, the Government of India had ignored South East Asia for a long time. Consequently, the North East region was not only cut off from its national economic partners but also excluded by unfriendly countries.
Though trade relation with Myanmar exists, it is an unauthorised trade. The State authority of Manipur is fully aware of these activities which function smoothly through unofficial channels. China is an important player in the border trade even though its trading activities are mainly through Myanmar.
Thus, emphasis should be given on synchronising these realities into Indian trade policies. A coordinated effort by different Central Ministries — mainly External Affairs, Home and Commerce — as well as a strong commitment from the region is the need of the hour to transform the low economic activity area into a dynamic region.
The Central Government on its part should help in converting the unauthorised trade into an authorised trade. The unauthorised trade works on the basis of strong network which involves traders, police, forest departments and of course, many underground groups and each having its own share in the pie. Apart from infrastructural problems at Moreh (Manipur), the larger number of check-posts on National High Way 39 and 53 would create problem in switching over from illegal to legal trade. In most cases, the State Government turns a blind eye to the border trade in illegal items because commodities are not declared legal officially.
There is corruption at every turn. It would be a good idea to declare certain areas in the region as free trade areas officially since for all practical purposes, they are free trade areas anyway.
Thirdly, the exposure of law and order vacuum in the State. Manipur is one of the oldest insurgency States in independent India. The last few years have seen the emergence of a number of insurgent groups. Many of which have become so active and continue to spill blood. Frequent bandhs and economic blockades by various groups are another annoying factor in Manipur. Bandhs are called not only by insurgent organisations, but also sometimes even by political parties.
A related aspect is the fear of extortion, kidnapping and murder. The recent systematic killing of migrant workers numbering to fifteen is still fresh in the minds of people. In order to survive, almost every industry or business, big or small, in most parts of the State, makes regular contributions to different underground outfits. Even the public sector units as well as Government employees in many parts of the State are reportedly paying money. Frequent monetary demands of different underground groups in the State often lead to closure of commercial places where shopkeepers and others belonging to business community would openly throng the streets even in the heart of its capital, Imphal City. In such a situation, it is hard to expect any enterprise to make any investment in the State at its own risk.
In Manipur frequent bandhs are called by different underground outfits, student organisations, political parties etc. 15th August and 26th January celebrations are virtually paralysed every year by a joint bandh called by many outfits. According to the North East Development Finance Institution (NEDFI), loss in State domestic product per day due to bandh have been Rs. 4,479 lakhs. In 2000, Manipur witnessed a total of 100 days bandh.
Such bandhs called by different groups have tremendous effect on the State’s educational set up. This hampers the growth of education and as a result the students of the State are being left behind as far as academic excellence is concerned.
In a State like Manipur, where unemployment has raised its neck, it is natural that the unemployed youth take to arms. For, there has been a report that some of the insurgent groups operating in the State pay good money to their cadres.
In Manipur where people’s sense of isolation has reached its peak, it would quite be imperative for the Central and State Government to wake up from their slumber and start giving serious efforts to end insurgency in the State besides announcing numerous schemes for economic development.
The recent State Govt’s declaration of Suspension of Operation (SoO) to some UG outfits is a welcome step that should be cherished in words and spirit, and, once and for all, the SPF-led Manipur Government should utilise the time at its disposal sparingly to utter its presence.


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