Highways: our signal failures

Iboyaima Laithangbam *

Manipur insulated from the rest of the country by nine hard-to-surmount mountains has no rail line. The pre-historic roads had been forgotten long time back. Before the advent of the Britishers shortly before the Khongjom war Manipur, a proud independent kingdom, had depended on the Jiribam-Imphal road.

Once the highway 39 was constrcuted by the Britishers for their administrative convenience the people of Manipur had started using it as the primary lifeline. In due course, highway 53 became a bridle path as a result of the utter negligence by the government. If one has to believe the venom spewing livid Ministers the larger chunk of the central fund for this highway had gone to some private pockets.

For decades Manipur has been depending on highway 39 for all kinds of transportations and travels. However it had become a hen that lays golden eggs several times in a day and night. The degree, variety and frequency of the extortions of illegal taxes have no parallel in any state. The traders have nothing to lose since the illegal taxes are merely added to the wholesale price.

The gullible, helpless and uncomplaining people never grumble if they have to buy potato at normal times at Rs 13 a kg whereas it is available at Rs 3 in Kolkata. The list of consumer items with such a wide range of variety in the priceline is long. It is a known fact that several drivers had been bludgeoned to death or roughed up or stoned to death for infractions.

As a school student I used to travel along this highway in the ramshackle and wobbly MST buses which broke down several times on the way. Once a garrulous driver had narrated how some persons had scrabbled and hang on the back of a truck while it was crawling up a steep ramp in the mountainous portion of the highway.

The driver was in complete darkness of the fact that some pedestrains were hitching a ride in this dangerous way. One person had slipped and plonked down at the asphalt killing him on the spot. A little farther away the driver who was in blissful ignorance of the accident had stopped the truck for urinating and washing his face. The angry co-passengers wired by the lust for vengeance they planned to wreak on the driver came running and simply stoned the driver to death without speaking a word.

There is a campaign now to boycott highway 39. But such a clarion call was given in the past and it was ignored contemptuously. As in the past some non-Manipuri traders are making a sport of the demand. At an average 100 tucks are arriving at Imphal from Dimapur every day. The traders are motivated by personal gains.

On the other hand, the drivers, as a result of years of computing along this highway, have mastered the art of the easy means of earning a few thousands of rupees.

Adulteration of petrol with kerosene, siphoning off the LPG to empty cylinders, cadging free meals from the hotels for reasons not far to seek are all there. These are irresitable temptations for the drivers. The drivers are yet to get all these benefits along highway 53 and it will take time.

Now that some organisations have firmed up their stand against a handful of truckers and traders who are stealing their way along highway 39 this may not last long. After gauging the public wave the central force troopers deployed along highway 39 must have been recalled. In any case there were allegations that the central forces were enjoying the scene from a safe distance.

People are given to understand that three groups are repairing the bridle path which is fraught with craters, rivulets and ditches making it impossible for the trucks and buses to drive on. Several trucks had skidded off or got stuck in the mire. The Border Roads Organisation which is impervious to the "symbolic" repairing works by the Manipur PWD is carrying on its own works.

The Ministers would have the people believe that though New Delhi is refusing to release fund hectic repairing works are being done by men and machineries with fund made available by the state government. Obviously unimpressed by these vociferous and lofty claims the Transporters and Drivers Council has been galvanising the repairing works.

It is no mean achievement that members of the public have donated such a big amount for repairing works along highway 53. It speaks volumes on the unshakable determination of the people to spruce up this highway. It can be ignored by the handful of greedy persons at their own peril.

It is a sad commentary on the failures of the state government that even after June 18 precious nohing is done to reopen the petrol pumps or contain the galloping price hike. It is a pity that the established government is floundering helplessly in the machinations of the business sharks.

National newspapers have been publishing photographs of women agitating elsewhere in the country protesting against the price hike. In sharp contrast some women in Manipur have jumped to the gravy train to earn huge profit by selling fuel and consumer items on the blackmarket.

Some audacious drivers have started placing advertisement in the local newspapers tendering apology for plying along highway 39. But as in case of drinking and bootlegging it was observed that such public confessions are infructuous and had no impact on the plying everyday. The silver lining is that this is a different case since people are behind the drivers in boycotting highway 39.

All sections of pople are keeping their fingers crossed and are waiting for the happenings round the corner.