Of bandhs and blockades - Is legislation the way out ?
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 13 2012 -

The announcement of United Naga Council (UNC) to call 48 hours total bandh in all Naga areas with effect from June 16 midnight has come just as the people of Manipur started taking a deep sigh of relief over the possibility of their 'summer of discontent' passing away this time without a hitch.

As we have pointed out through this column earlier, summer is that time of year in Manipur when the state remain embroils in some sort of agitations over one issue or the other.

As the mercury level rises, people in this part of the globe stock up their ration and other essential goods to last till 'temporary withdrawal' or 'suspension of the bandh/blockade' in public interest.

We are here not to comment on the 'rightness or wrongness' of the means adopted to exert pressure on the authority to press a demand or two 'in public interest', but the untold suffering of the common people in the event of such agitations dragging on for days without end and then abruptly lifting 'in public interest', is simply astounding.

By that time, much harm have already been done not only to the organization or the group of people calling the bandh/blockade, but also to the public in whose interest the bandh/blockade had been supposedly called in the first place.

On the other hand, the response of the authority to such bandhs/blockades in Manipur had always been one of complete indifferent to demand of the bandh sponsorers as well as to the suffering of the people.

Nonetheless, sometime earlier, a House Committee of the State Assembly had tabled a report proposing passing of a legislation to prevent the culture of calling bandhs, road and economic blockades in Manipur.

Noting that calling of bandhs, road blockades and economic blockades not only affect normal life, public and individual property but also the state economy in various ways, the report proposed, 'The Manipur Bandh, Blockade and Economic Blockade (Prevention) Bill, 2011', which empowers the state government to put the blockade initiators to a jail term of one to three years with a fine ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

According to the proposed Bill, "a group of persons or any organization registered or unregistered, calling and making, by written or oral publicity or through media, directing or causing the public, barring or prohibiting them to come out of their respective houses to carry on their normal works, commits the offence of Bandh.

While a person or a group of persons or any organization creates or attempts to breach the public peace or causes large scale disturbance of general current of public life, commits Blockade.

Endorsing the ruling of Supreme Court which had denounced bandh/blockade as 'illegal and unconstitutional', the Bill also proposed to make one of the sessions courts as the special trial court for speedy disposal of the cases and pronounce judgement against the offender.

Although the proposed Bill is yet to the see the light of the day, we do hope its enactment may provide a breather to the bandh/blockade wearied public of Manipur.

However, one question that still remains hanging in the mind is why such legislation has become a necessity in Manipur if the State Government has been taking up prompt action all along instead of waiting for the boiling pot to spill over ?