Armed thugs feasting as Govt plays peace card
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: April 19, 2022 -

ECONOMIC and Resource Development (ERDO), Kangleipak may not be counted among the influential civil society organisations of the state but the point it is raising pertaining to activists of armed outfits looting and extorting business and transport operators along the national highways in Manipur and Nagaland sectors merits serious inspection by civil bodies as well as government authorities.

It's an open secret that looting or collection of unauthorised taxes by armed groups which are either bound by peace deal signed with the government or are still waging war against the establishment has been going on and these armed groups view thousands of commercial vehicles plying everyday along the National Highways as the easiest means to fund their nefarious activities.

ERDO secretary general Shanta Nahakpam understandably refrained from pin-pointing out outfits actively indulging in anti-social activities but the fact remains that collection illegal taxes openly along National Highways by armed groups holding peace talks with state and central governments has been continuing unabated.

ERDO is not the first civil body to voice serious remorse against arbitrary collection of illegal taxes and detaining people for not complying with armed groups' diktats to cough up unspecified amount.

With great reluctance, business operators, including smalltime entrepreneurs, have to pay the amount after negotiation for they believe that the unwarranted loss could be recovered through hiking service charge or increasing prices of essential and household goods.

Ultimately, it is the common people who suffer the most as government authorities play dumb and deaf in-spite of fully being aware about the presence of anti-social elements along the national or state highways.

Unarguably, the earlier inconveniences faced by transport and business operators owing to poor condition of the national highways in Manipur sector have been mitigated to some extent as the roadways are now comparatively smoother though sporadic reports about targeting goods carriers along the highways are clear proof about the perennial threat posed by armed outfits as well as unarmed civilian thugs.

For such anti-social elements targeting transport operators is the most convenient means to force owners of the vehicles or the goods to either pay the demanded amount or reach out for a negotiation with the perpetrators.

There were various incidents of armed men attacking both goods and passenger carriers, murdering drivers and rendering many others permanently disabled and there is no guarantee that the said trend will cease any sooner as successive governments had been ignoring the public's demand for setting up and deploying the promised highway protection force in Manipur sector of the national highways.

With almost all the incidents of looting of goods and targeting of transporters bearing communal undertone and an exhibition of territorial hegemony there is strong possibility of the state witnessing sectarian violence amid the government self-glorifying on semblance of return of peace and ignoring seriousness of the issue at hand or the influential civil society organisations do not exert pressure on the local authorities to rein in the rogue elements.

More importantly, leaders of the various civil bodies ought to reach out to one another and work collectively to check unauthorised taxation, especially by those outfits which are allergic to the idea of One Manipur and well-being of its people.