District Demands And Economic Blockade

Seram Neken *

Nagas rally against Sadar Hills district demand at Ukhrul on August 19 2011

"Painting communal colour in the structural reformation of revenue districts is disastrous in a state where varied and multiple ethnic communities reside. It may help destabilize the balance among the groups whose social ties have already slackened on various occasions. Organisation or reorganization of revenue districts shall not be done on communal, linguistic and ethnic grounds. It shall be done purely on the basis of administrative convenience, geographical location, population density etc.

Meanwhile, frequent imposition of economic blockade on the lifeline highways for one or the other demands by groups inhabiting along the national highways is repulsive in nature as the blockade hits hard the general populace. Moreover, strikes disturbing inflows of essential commodities via the national highways have been declared as illegal, anti-social and inhumane time and again." – Writes Seram Neken

A friend of mine who is posted in Jiribam has to submit his work report to the Chief Medical Officer of the district concerned on weekly basis. He takes at least two days on his journey to the district headquarters (Porompat, Imphal east) and one day to submit the report. The expenditure for journey has also to be borne from his pocket money. Rather, he has to reply to the frequent explanation calls of the officer concerned for his absence at the workplace.

The demand for a new revenue district of Jiribam, which is presently under the Imphal east district, is reasonable on account of its geographical location and bad transportation networks. Likewise, there may also be ample reasonable grounds for demanding a separate revenue district of SADAR Hills. District formation naturally is in accordance with the needs and demands for administrative convenience, geographical suitability and population proportionality. Unfortunately, some sections have apparently interpreted district demands on communal, linguistic and ethnic lines.

In other big states of India where the transport and communication is considerably good, the area coverage of a district may be very large. There are revenue districts of mainland state of India whose area coverage is almost the same as that of the whole territory of Manipur state. However, considering inconveniences in transport and communication due to topographical features, Manipur needs to be bifurcated into a number of districts. District organization or reorganization in a communally sensitive state like Manipur needs to be done totally on grounds of administrative, geographical and communication conveniences.

After merger to the Indian union in 1949, Manipur remained a single district till 1969 when five districts of Manipur central, Manipur east, Manipur west, Manipur north and Manipur south were created for administrative convenience. Tamenglong district was created in 1974. In 1983, Manipur central district was bifurcated into three separate districts. Again in 1997, Imphal district was bifurcated into Imphal west and Imphal east. At present there are nine districts.

Meanwhile, people residing in Sadar Hills areas (in Senapati district) and the residents of the far-off Jiribam sub division (in Imphal east) are demanding their new revenue districts. Lightly there has also been a demand for separate district of Tengnoupal (in Chandel). These are all the evolutionary compulsions created by increasing population and complexity of lifestyles.

Economic blockade has become a household word in Manipur. Long queues in front of oil pumps indicate the onset of highway bandh for one or the other demands of people inhibiting along the people's lifelines. Government has been adamant to taking up befitting actions against those taking undue advantage of residing along the national highways.

The supreme court of India has already ruled that highway blockade is a crime worth punishable. However, till today not a single perpetrator involved in highway blockade has ever been booked and tried in Manipur. Thanks to the inaction of the incumbent ministry who does not spare even an old vendor woman of Khwairamband Keithel for her occupying the roadside, selling vegetables and braving traffic police lathis to feed her families.

Time for reaping values from the Economic Blockade

During the 68-day Naga-sponsored economic blockade last year, the normal social and economic lives of the Manipuris were severely hit. As the LPG gas was unavailable due to blockade, time of cooking depended on the availability of electricity during daytime. We saw widespread use of rice cookers and electric heaters for all cooking purposes replacing use of cooking gas. People started using charcoal with chulaas for cooking at home.

The blockade in highways obviously taught a valuable lesson to the Manipuris regarding economical use of fuel at home and outside. Earlier most people recklessly use LPG for domestic purposes keeping aside the electric heaters and rice cookers rusted for long. But, we were forced to repair the electric heaters and chulaas for making tea, boiling water, preparing curries and fries.

Although its negative impacts have hard-hit the inhabitants of Manipur hills and valley people during the last few months, economic blockade is not bereft of intent merits providing durable benefits to the people. Unnecessary roaming on vehicles will drastically be reduced as petro is scarcely available at pumps. Besides using public carriers like Auto-Rikshaw and Magic-Tata by office goers, number of cycling and walking people will also rise. During the peak of blockade, many vehicles will be off the roads due to fuel scarcity.

It has also led to reduction of air and noise pollution. Besides reducing air pollution, fuel scarcity will make a valuable contribution to the health of many people who walk and cycle for their routine business by activating body metabolism and controlling body weight. We may appreciate the blockade sponsors in these lines.

Dearth of edibles coming in from outside the state will compel many people to use local products made by self-help groups. Most popular are: papad, pickles, chow-chow, Khurman, kabok, spices and juices of various kinds. It is time to teach our children children to eat Khurman instead of Cakes, Uncle Chips and Lays. Local made eatables may replace Macorni, Maggi and Chow-chow for School Tiffin. The quantum of demands for local products during the economic blockade may be almost double. Hundreds of women who are engaged in marketing of these products from place to place may be benefitted in their business.

One most rewarding merit of the long economic blockade by the various Naga bodies last year was the garner of attention of the government towards improving the conditions of national highway number 53. However, no improvement has been seen as yet. The said alternative lifeline of the Manipur people which had long been neglected by the government will be put up again as the most debated agenda during the onslaught of this blockade.

Resorting to economic blockade for one or the other cause is both illegal and inhumane. Whatever may be the demands of the various pressure groups, such practices as coercing the innocent millions of human beings are against the will of God. If the means adopted are not good, the ends will lose its rationale. So, the agitating bodies and individuals may take a breather to choose alternative devices to wrap the authorities without troubling the general people and without hurting the general will. Only with the consent of general will, endeavours may become fruitful.

The greater the dependence on outside products, the greater is the importance of national highways. As of the present day generation, almost everything we use right from the early morning wake-up to the time we return to bed at night comes from outside the state. Right from tooth brush and tooth paste to clothes we wear, from apples to rice and oil, from school bags to Tiffin materials of children, from vehicles and fuel to entertainment gadgets, everything is imported from outside the state.

It is high time people of Manipur explore various possibilities to reduce dependencies on the highways and outside markets. We need to learn use of local products instead of products imported from outside. Traditional eatables may replace outside products.

Locally available fruits should take the place of apple, grapes, mangoes and pomegranates imported from outside which are expensive and the prices of which often fluctuate due to transport disruption. Cooking LPG uses may be reduced at the minimum by utilizing the electricity economically and adopting the traditional charcoal use method. People in general need to popularize walking and cycling for less-hasty and less-distant businesses. It serves the trio-benefit of health improvement, saving fuel and reducing pollution.

If we can be familiarized with such habits and practices, the hardships due to economic blockade will not be too grave as before. The simple living and Swadeshi philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation have found total relevance in Manipur at this hour of highway blockade.

(This article is filed under RK Maipaksana Journalist Fellowship)