Moreh : More than a border town
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 25, 2010 -

There are reasons why Moreh is in the focus of everyone. Moreh is important to Delhi, Imphal, the Assam Rifles, the traders drawn from different communities and the different armed rebel groups, due to different reasons which are guided by commercial interests, history and ethnicity which can be read as who gets the right as well as the privilege to control the social, economy and polity of the border town.

The grand vision of a Trans-Asian Highway, which has Moreh on its map, means opening the route to the burgeoning and huge market in South East Asian countries, with India leaving no stones unturned to become a member of Association of South East Asian Countries (ASEAN).

This line of thinking or vision would not have been imagined or even thought to be practical two decades ago, but with the changing economic scenario everywhere and the shifting of priorities from a militaristic approach to a market driven one, where the world has become a global village, this grand vision or dream of a Trans-Asian Highway is not only imaginable or practical, but could have a deep impact not only on the economy of the country, particularly the North East and Manipur, but in terms of policies towards the Military Junta at Myanmar or the pro-democracy movement under Aung San Suu Kyi.

With the Chinese showing more than a cursory interest to invest in Myanmar, India cannot afford to sit back and merely be a spectacle to a journey towards the East, where potentials are immense. It could give a new dimension to regional politics in South and South East Asia and see a change in the power equation.

This much is obvious for the keen interest shown by Delhi on this border town. For Imphal, the main interest is obviously the huge trade and commerce activities that take place along the NH-39 route of Imphal to Moreh. With Namphalong bazar just a few yards from Moreh, all one needs to do is to hire or take a hike on a Sumo taxi early in the morning and come back in the evening with the goods, which were bought at a much lower rate.

It is therefore not surprising to see Imphal markets flooded with Moreh goods, from the pair of denims to jackets, jogging shoes, onions, garlic, dried chillies, even Yongchak, to the electronic goods, which can range from the car battery to the invertors, generators, rice cookers etc etc.

Not only Imphal, Moreh goods have also flooded the markets in neighbouring Nagaland and the further one is away from this border town, the higher the margin of profit. It is this income generation that invariably interests Imphal as much as the Moreh traders, as they are known in the local jargon.

To the Assam Rifles, Moreh is important because it is not only their duty to maintain vigil on the border, following a decision of the Union Home Ministry, but they have to come around to the idea or reality that Moreh is more than just a border town and that there are different players who have a stake there. This is what makes the job of the Assam Rifles more complex, since it involves dealing with sensitive issues such as the interest of one ethnic group opposed to another group or something along this line.

The Suspension of Operations inked with the Kuki armed groups has failed to live up to its expectations and far from bringing in a semblance of clipping the wings of the armed groups or keeping them within the ground rules, the truce pact has come to mean the license to move freely around with arms !

This is the most sensitive part in the intricate web of relationship and commercial activities carried out between different ethnic groups. The problem gets aggravated when armed groups, who have a presence there, suddenly start taking their rivalry to the doorsteps of the common people.

We have experienced this before and quite a number of civilians were killed in clashes between two armed groups in Moreh. Manipur was somewhat caught in the web of mutual distrust and animosity between different communities, in this case the Meiteis and the Kukis. Our argument is, whatever differences armed groups may have, let them settle it amongst themselves.

Why train the gun on the civilians which has the potential to turn into a full fledged communal stand off or clash ? We know this line of thinking or argument will cut no ice with those wielding the guns, but we cannot remain silent, when a situation has been created so much so, that Moreh is literally sitting on a time bomb ticking away.

This brings us to the recent indefinite bandh called by the Meitei Council Moreh on the NH-39 stretch of Imphal to Moreh following the threats from the armed KNA. We have not been able to contact the KNA to get their side of the story, but as far as the Meitei Council, Moreh is concerned, the said outfit started hunting for the office bearers of the MCM, after one of their cadres was held captive by a rival UG group and later released.

In short, in what is basically a battle for turf between rival UG groups, the civil population was needlessly dragged in giving it a communal colour. It may have been a knee jerk reaction to the abduction of one of their cadres, but this cannot be the excuse for giving a communal hue to the issue.

Such a trend is dangerous for everyone, since there is already an uneasy social relationship between the majority Kukis and the Meiteis there.

Yes Moreh is important for different reasons to different people, but at the moment what is sorely felt is the absence of any measures to take up positive steps that may clear the air of doubts and suspicions.

As for the armed groups, it is a battle for turf, as Moreh is not only a huge revenue generator, but also provides the perfect gateway to enter Myanmar.