Troubled Highways
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 03, 2015 -
For a long time, a State like Manipur has suffered due to numerous highway blockades imposed by organizations to put pressure on the Government for the fulfillment of their demands. For those who have observed the situation from close quarters, the issue does not seem to be new at all.
With the near total helplessness exhibited by any ruling dispensations over the period of time, people have in fact given up hope on authorities coming up with a solution.
It is under such backdrop, Member of Parliament (MP) representing Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Dr Thokchom Meinya recently raised the issue of blockades along National Highways cutting across the State in the Parliament and urged the Centre to set up a dedicated National Highway Protection Force to ensure smooth movement of goods and essential commodities into the State.
While the issue raised by the MP in the Parliament is no longer new, it is also a fact that the State has not been able to effectively deal with the situation.
In an intervention in the Lok Sabha, Dr Meinya had to narrate the same old story of how trucks carrying essential commodities, passenger buses and oil tankers get stranded along the highways during such blockades and the resultant hike in the prices of essential commodities besides scarcity of food items, life saving drugs, gas and petrol.
Seeking the intervention of the Centre in such situation has become a normal practice.
While the MP is making efforts to get the Centre’s attention, no one seems to seriously consider why such a means had to be used by the organizations.
Whether or not the Centre sets up a dedicated National Highway Protection Force depends on how the State Government handles crises often categorized as law and order problem.
If the citizens are to be free from such blockades and means of protests, the State should also be in a position to speedily address issues which had compelled the organizations to take recourse to means which jeopardizes normal life.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.