Dzukou valley: The day after

Iboyaima Laithangbam *

24 hrs General Strike called against incursion by Nagaland at Kojiirii and Dzuko Valley on May 23 2015 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

Since the people of Manipur are inured to the general strikes, blockades and other forms of wildcat obstructions the 24 hour gridlock protesting against the cavalier attitude of the state government to the not so slow and insidious usurping of Dzükou valley and its immediate vicinity. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi reacted to the proposed general strike only when inquisitive reporters popped some questions.

What became clear is that all these decades the state government has been sleeping over the issue while some groups with the tacit support of the Nagaland government were busy sticking the stakes and doing other constructions.

Since the days of Rishang Keishing Manipur has failed to protect the state boundary. There were intrusions and encroachments. The Manipur government employees who had gone there via Nagaland since the government has not even constructed a bridle path leading to the valley faced humiliation and harassment.

Jeering students and villagers overpowered them and an obliging Nagaland government remanded them to judicial custody. In normal circumstances they should have been released honourably since they were bona fide government employees.

The unruly persons intruded into Liyai Khunnou to torch the village while the villagers had gone to attend a wedding function to another far off village. There were instances galore of beating up and arresting villagers in Senapati and Ukhrul districts.

In this backdrop and remembering the fact that Nagaland is having border disputes with Assam which are characterised by occasional bloody incidents the Manipur government should have taken up some effective measures.

But the Manipur government has not even done some quick fix solutions. Besides the temporizing stand of the chief minister who said that it is yet to be decided whether the entire or just a part of the valley belongs to Manipur after so many years of border face off was unexpected and disconcerting.

The paralysing general strike had no bearing on the issue since the state government remains unshakable on its stand that the impasse would be thrashed out with T.R. Zeliang.

In other words the strike called by two NGOs were an exercise in futility. It will mean that the construction of the road and the rest house shall continue and except for some press statements from the NGOs there will be no reaction or obstruction from the Manipur side.

Sooner than later, the areas now under construction will be inexorably and irrevocably under Nagaland.

But Manipur has officially admitted the shrinking territory as through ploy and subterfuge of "missing" boundary pillars Mynamar had usurped Manipur's land without any objection from the people and the government.

The people and the territory of this ancient land are not safe in the hands of the politicians who are mere businessmen.