Imphal, May 26: There is no sign of the agitating All manipur Tribal Students� Union Manipur (ATSUM) relenting from its indefinite economic blockade posture as neither the talks held on May 24 ended favourably nor has the Government contacted for further negotiation to thrash out a solution on the impasse.

An apparently peeved president of the tribal students� body, John Pulamte conveyed to the Sangai Express that it would persist with the agitation in a more vigorous manner.

Saying �we have not been intimated by the Government for further talks�, the ATSUM leader construed that silence of the State authorities on the issue is akin to dumping away its long standing and genuine demands.

Apart from taking serious note on failure of the Government to communicate for further deliberation, an emergency meeting held at Imphal today is informed to have unanimously resolved on intensifying the ongoing economic blockade enforced on the national highways that serves as supply routes to the landlocked State.

Affirming that ATSUM volunteers have fanned out to various strategic points on both the NH-39 and 53 in order to strictly enforce the blockade, John Pulamte said there is no justifiable reason to retract from its current stand until and unless its demands are honoured.

On being asked about the State Cabinet�s decision to promulgate an Act to penalise bandh/blockade sponsors, he retorted �we will fight legally against the Government if they (Govt) crack such a whip on us.

�The MoUs signed between us and the Government are ample proof that our demands are just and need to be complied with,� expressed the student leader while asserting that rather than conceding its demands any attempt to subjugate ATSUM through use of force or applying the proposed Act the court of law would be approached for legal battle.

Comment