Prolonging economic blockade perilous for the state
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 26 2011 -

Despite appeals from various quarters - political parties, civil organizations, student bodies, individuals and from the government and despite the suffering of the people as a direct consequence of it, the economic blockade continues.

It has now entered its 57th day today and if it goes on for another eleven days, then this economic blockade will become the longest ever as yet that the state has had to bear surpassing the one last year imposed by ANSAM for 68 days.

And if that happens, the SHDDC would have earned the dubious distinction of having imposed the longest ever economic blockade and consequently, forced deprivation of essential items on the people of Manipur for the longest time.

Although there are many pressing and more grave reasons which should convince the leadership of SHDDC to call off their economic blockade at the earliest, avoiding mention in the annals of Manipur in such dubious manner is yet another incentive to give up this path.

Economic blockade, we have been maintaining, is inhuman and unethical as it uses the suffering of a large section of the people as a bargaining chip to achieve certain demands or goal, a full -fledged Sadar Hills District in this case.

Nowhere in the country, have we come across any group of people imposing economic blockade. This is an extreme form of agitation which holds the whole population at ransom for no fault of theirs.

This is an extreme tactics used only in wars. In the 13th century when Genghis Khan turned his attention to China, he laid seize to Beijing, camped outside the city walls, cut off supplies to the city, used the same supplies to feed his conquering army and starved the people inside the city gate, many to their deaths.

It is said the condition became so bad that many inside the city started practicing cannibalism to stave off death. This, of course, is an extreme form of economic blockade practiced by someone who is supposed to be one of the most ruthless conquerors the world has ever known.

We know, the SHDDC leadership will neither allow nor desire such a situation to develop.

But again, what logical conclusion are we to draw if the economic blockade goes on and on and the supplies eventually dry up ? How will the people sustain themselves, if they have nothing to eat ? The longer the blockade continues, the more bitter the resentment of the people who are facing the brunt of the blockade will be. They will convince themselves that the blockade is meant to cause maximum hardship to them.

Another matter which should be of serious concern to all of us in Manipur is that the prolonged economic blockades have started putting pressure on the fault lines of our society.

Already there have been violent reactions against the blockade in certain areas. These are dangerous signs and we should read them accordingly.

The situation should not be allowed to escalate further; not taking prompt action would amount to exposing ourselves to the risk of full fledged clashes. Even as we write, the trust deficit between the different communities in the state is increasing.

While we would counsel restrain to all those who are reacting violently against the economic blockades, we would once again urge the SHDDC, as the principle player in the present situation in the state, to withdraw their economic blockade.

Now a stage has come where the economic blockade is fast becoming an issue itself relegating the Sadar Hills issue to the background. This is not a desirable development not just for the SHDDC but the health of the whole state.

Finding an amicable solution to this vexed issue is the only way forward for Manipur.

But prolonging the economic blockade is not the way to go about it, it will only diminish the chances of finding a solution agreeable to all communities.