Nearest route to Guwahati from Imphal

D P Panmei *

The modern days have brought the world to your corridor and room through the TV, Phone, internet and other means of communication. Communication through letter writing has become wastage of time, money and energy and it is the order of the past.

Spending of time, energy and money for going to Delhi by surface seems to be more expensive than going by flight. The travel by air costs a little bit higher but when we count the time spent and energy wasting to travel by bus and train it is comparatively lesser and cheaper.

The people have been passing through NH 39 for the past one century for going to Delhi, Guwahati and Shillong and vice versa. It is very late on the part of the Government of Manipur to find out the shortest route to go to Guwahati or Shillong.

Those planners and rulers of Manipur Government have failed to divert their attention towards finding out the shortest road link to Guwahati and for that matter Delhi, the national capital through Tamenglong.

The feeling of jealousy and disgust for the Zeliangrong people who produced some prominent freedom fighters like Haipou Jadonang and Rani Gaidinliu who fought the mighty British Government seem to have prevailed over the minds of the past rulers.

The people of Manipur have incurred a lot of losses in terms of human bodies, materials like motor vehicles, trucks, goods, etc. and money due to heavy taxations and extortions imposed by different underground organizations in passing through NH 39 in the last 50 years.

Had these incurred losses been diverted and invested for construction of a good road to link with Dabaka for Guwahati via Tamenglong, Manipur would have flourished abundantly and many outside visitors/tourists would have been attracted who will fetch sizeable income to the people.

Welcome to Chief Minister's plan: Shri O. Ibobi Singh, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Manipur has proved to be a man of visions and far-sightedness looking at his plans and pressures he has been making to the Union Minister of Road and Surface Transport for taking up various road proposals for Manipur.

Among them the following roads if converted into National Highways, Manipur will come up as an advanced state in the North-East.

Those roads for conversion are:-

1. Kangpokpi to Haflong Road via Tamenglong (Imphal-Tamenglong Road-120 km+Tamenglong-Tousem-Haflong Road-138 km) as NH-39 (A)
2. Tamenglong to Bishnupur Road via Khongsang and Rengpang (Tamenglong-Khongsang-39.5 km and Rengpang-Bishnupur-93 km) as NH-53(A).