ILSFBF urges UNC to lift economic blockade
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 18 2011:
The International Lainingthou Sanamahi Faith and Believers Forum (ILSFBF) has urged the United Naga Council (UNC) to lift the economic blockade on both the NHs without any precondition and purely on humanitarian as well as on compassionate grounds.
Addressing media persons at a press conference held at Ima Keithel 1, Dr Ch Manoranjan, convenor ILSFBF, said that the forum went to Senapati yesterday and met with the UNC where they also submitted a memorandum.
Since the President of UNC was out of station, the forum had a meeting with Paul, the speaker of UNC and Dani, the Finance Secretary of UNC at the office of the UNC at Senapati bazaar.
The forum urged the UNC to lift the economic blockade without any precondition where the UNC also approved but said that even though they are willing to lift the economic blockade the state government is unwilling to spare the time for talks with the UNC, he said.
He further said that the UNC also expressed that the state government is neglecting the issues of the hills people.
There is never an equal development between the hills and the plains as such various unwanted incidents crept up.
It is also very unfortunate on the part of the state government to look at things with a narrow mind.
He went on to say that the UNC also expressed their desire to bring up a candidate in the hill areas apart from an independent candidate as no regional party and national party would agree to work with an independent candidate, as such there is no development works in the hills.
There is the urgent need to bring out either a regional or a national party candidate in the hills.
The forum believes that a positive response would come from the UNC within a couple of days.
If at all the UNC and the state government stays mum than the Forum will take up further course of actions including discussions with the International Religion Forum, he said.
The memorandum which was submitted to the UNC mentions that the economic blockade imposed on both the NHs of the state has given untold miseries to the people of the state in general and the people of the plains in particular.
The lifeline of the people of the state has been completely put to a grinding halt following which prices of essential commodities have sky rocketed.
The stocks of life saving drugs are running dry, meanwhile reports of tropical disease have been pouring in.
The memorandum further appeals the UNC to relieve the common people of the apprehension of a likely humanitarian crisis of catastrophic dimensions by lifting the economic blockade without any precondition.