Blockade : More than seven days :: Time for the Govt to act
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 01 2015 -

The Government is obviously not serious. More importantly it has also not demonstrated any ‘gesture’ that it is indeed serious. Borders more on indifference.

On the other hand the Muan Tombing and Vareiyo Shatshang led All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur seems serious.

This should explain why the blockade imposed on all the National Highways is more than a week old.

All the more reason why the State Government should not commit the mistake of sleeping over the matter.

Granted, the blockade has not had much impact on fuel supply, but this has come about for reasons far removed from any course of action taken up by the Government.

What the Government should take note of is the fact that petrol pumps are by and large still open because the Senapati District Students’ Association, the Senapati based Naga People’s Organisation and the Senapati District Women’s Organisation have not backed the blockade call.

This leaves the Imphal-Dimapur highway free but the same cannot be said of the Imphal-Moreh route.

Not surprisingly, border trade has been hit hard with blockade supporters enforcing the agitation in between Thamnapokpi and Bongjang and other points of the highway.

This means that the earning capacity of quite a large number of people has been hit hard and prices of goods from Moreh must have increased substantially.

The silence of the Government is hard to digest and at the same time it is also right for ATSUM to come around the idea that it just does not make sense to continue with the blockade for reasons which must be clear to them.

In the first place, blockade of any sort hits the people and not the high and mighty in the Government.

Wonder why such a fundamental fact keeps on blowing over the head of all who are behind any such agitation.

The Monsoon session of the Assembly is on and whether one agrees with the demands put forth by the student organisation or not, it is only right that the blockade issue is discussed thoroughly in the House.

Or is the matter not that serious since fuel supply has not been hit ? It will also do good for everyone to remember that any blockade can and will only further deepen the divide amongst the people.

The counter-blockade may have been imposed to assert the people’s angst against such course of agitation but it can give rise to other unwanted developments.

Any course of agitation is bound to affect the people, more particularly certain sections of society and this is where the politics of blockade can take a sinister turn.

Manipur and her people certainly do not need this and the sooner everyone concerned come around to this reality the better it would be for everyone.

A goal or two may be achieved by taking recourse to such course of agitation, but in the long run it has the potential to drive permanent wedges amongst the people and Manipur certainly does not need this.

Taking this reality into consideration it is only right for the Government to get its act together and do the needful to get the blockade lifted.

This does not mean that the Government should agree to all the points raised, but it is only expected that it gets its act together and do something to address the situation arising out of the blockade.

That the blockade has been suspended now is a different matter.