NHs bandh affect normal life
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 19 2014: On the first day of 48 hrs Bandh called by the Thadou Students' Association (TSA), in protest against the acquisition of 3000 acres of land for setting up smart city at Haolenphai near Moreh in Chandel District, vehicular movement along the Imphal-Moreh Section of National Highway 102 was severely affected today.

Large number of bandh supporters including women folks enforced the bandh along the section of the National Highway by piling of boulders and woods at Saivom Village and Molnoi Area.

During the Bandh, the bandh supporters detained the Deputy Commissioner of Chandel and his team who went to Moreh for a reception of Sangai Festival delegates from Myanmar for more than an hour at Saivom.

NHs bandh affect normal life

Later on, a team of ministers led by Industries Minister, Govindas Konthoujam who also went to Moreh were also detained for a while at Saivom and they were allowed to proceed further after the Minister clarified that he never told that 3000 acres of land in Moreh was acquired for setting up of the Smart City as published in the One of the local dailies on July 22 last.

However, there was no report of damaging vehicles or any unwanted incident occurred during the bandh till filing of this report.

It may be mentioned that, TSA has called 48 hrs Bandh on National Highways of the State from 18 November mid-night in protest against acquisition of 3000 acres of land at Haolenphai near Moreh for setting up of Smart City.

While briefing the media persons at the sideline of the bandh, James Haokip, General Secretary TSA General Head Quarters said that the students body were compelled to imposed the 48 hrs bandh as there was no positive response from the government despite submitting several memorandum to the Chief Minister and Union Ministers regarding the acquisition of 3000 acres of land at Haolenphai for setting up a Smart City.

Regarding the issue, TSA Delhi Branch will also submit a copy of Memorandum to the Prime minister today, he added.

Explaining the reasons for opposing the government plan to acquire land for setting up of Smart City, the General Secretary said that we do not want nor need a Smart City which will render us landless and homeless.

And it is against our culture and tradition to sell land at the cost of our culture, custom and history.

If sincere enough, instead of imposing the development that we don't need, the government should come up with a plan for setting up of Smart Villages with basic modern amenities and better health care facilities besides improve transport and communication system or extend the much needed Sixth Schedules of the Indian Constitution in the Hill areas of the State for the welfare of the Tribals, said the General Secretary.

While appealing to all like minded civil organizations to support the student's body, the General Secretary also warned that an intense form of democratic agitations will be continued after the ongoing 48 hrs National Highways bandh, if the government fail to revoke the plan and process of land acquisition for setting up of the Smart City.

Our correspondent Daniel Kamei adds from Tamenglong that 'due to the 48 hrs bandh called by the Thadou student Association (TSA) in the national highways since last midnight, there is a great impact in the NH-37(Imphal-Jiri Road) and Imphal-Tamenglong road.

Passenger services vehicles and goods carrier trucks were off the road of both inter-state and inter-districts.

But, local vehicles were plying and markets were opened as normal.

No untoward incident was reported till now.