Organizations pat Govt for 'Mao Market Shed' plan
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 14 2015 : Several civil society organization Manipur have lauded the State Government for proposing to set up a permanent 'Mao Market Shed' at the location earlier occupied by Manipur Apex Marketing Co-operative Society Ltd.

in Imphal.

Initially, the Government agreed to set up a temporary vegetable stalls for Mao traders over the Naga river at Nagamapal and then at the land space of PDA near Eastern Motors.

The move has been appreciated in a joint press release issued by IPSA, KSA, CLK, KIL, KANGLAMEI, IPAK, PANDAM, ACOAMLUP and LFWPK.

These organisations urged both the state and non-state actors to refrain from causing disturbances to Mao vendors and collecting illegal taxes from them.

They stressed on the fact that these Mao residents have to travel more than 100 km to reach the State capital.

Organizations pat Govt for 'Mao Market Shed' plan

Most vehicles plying between Senapati headquarters and Mao have Nagaland registration numbers and so the Government is earnestly urged for allowing free passage of these vehicles while entering the State for the time being though such steps are against the Motor Vehicle Act, said the oraganisations.

They appealed all to contribute their mites to make the Mao marketplace a permanent living market place of Manipur.

Vegetable vendors from the Mao community had recently preferred Imphal as the right place for selling their local produce after Nagaland-based Southern Angami People Organisation (SAPO) and Southern Anagami Youth Organisation (SAYO) imposed a total ban on all activities of the Maos in the neighbouring State over the Dzükou Valley and Kozüri stalemate.

There had been several reports of violent incidents since the impasse started.

Physical assaults against Mao people and damaging of their vehicles and vandalising of shops owned by Mao traders in Kohima allegedly by volunteers of SAPO and SAYO were reported recently.

Mao people in the recent past were comfortable with Kohima for carrying out their daily business activities since the distance between Mao and the Nagaland capital is roughly 30 km only and hence there had was a kind of aloofness between Imphal and this community as they had to travel 106 km to reach the State capital, which is a expensive and a time-consuming trip.