Artificial food crisis
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 17, 2024 -

Contrary to the speculation that the Kuki-Meetei conflict will eventually lead to scarcity of food grain in the valley districts and some hill areas, accessing which necessitates passing through the plains, on account of the Kuki community laying siege on the two national highways that connect the state with other parts of the country, the NE Now has published a report about the valley districts of Manipur teetering on the brink of a food crisis due to persistent threats from extremist groups.

As per the report, warehouses of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in the state are struggling with critically low food grain stocks.

The depletion of stocks, rice to be specific, is primarily attributed to inability of the FCI to offload food grains due to noncompliance with diktats of armed groups, which in all probability could be insisting on payment of specific amount calculated on the number of rice loads.

Citing official data, the Guwahati-based news portal reported that tne four FCI storage facilities located in the valley districts are facing an average stock deficit of 85 percent.

It elaborated that the facilities in Bishnupur, Sangaiprou, Sawombung, and Thoubal—all situated in Meetei-dominated areas—currently hold a meagre 14.5 percent of their total storage capacity.

As on date, Bishnupur has 36 percent and Sangaiprou 22 per cent stocks while Sawombung and Thoubal are, disturbingly, completely devoid of food grains.

Regarding the FCI facilities in Jiribam and Ukhrul, both located in predominantly non-Meetei areas, the report mentioned availability of ample stocks, at 107 per cent and 53 per cent respectively.

Expectedly, the same report quoted FCI officials and employees stationed in the valley districts as saying that they have been subjected to constant threats and extortion demands by Meetei extremist groups, with those involved even preventing FCI trucks from offloading food grains in the valley areas unless extortion payments are made.

Even as the report centred on interference by militant groups active in the valley districts, it's an undeniable fact that all goods carriers are heavily taxed in towns as well as isolated locations along the national highways in Manipur and Nagaland sector.

For the record, there were instances of cadres of armed organisations either killing truckers to exert pressure on the authorities or impounding goods laden trucks operating on the said highways to force the vehicle owners pay the demanded sum.

Notably, a September 2022 report by the National Crime Records Bureau inferred that in 2021 Nagaland recorded highest rate of crime under 'extortion and blackmailing' at 7.6 per cent against the national average of 0.8 per cent.

Prior to establishment of the FCI food grain storage facility at the Jiribam railway station, Nagaland sector of the national highway used to be the only option for all the Manipur-bound goods carriers, thereby serving as the primary source of funding for the various armed groups active in the neighbouring state.

Besides, Nagaland, these truckers had to oblige to illegal tax collection and extortion demand from Mao Gate in Manipur till the goods are offloaded.

As failure to ensure supply of rice, the staple food item in Manipur, to the people will inevitably result in public outcries and provide fodder to the opposition parties to berate at the government, those helming the affairs in the state should make adequate security arrangement for the handful of FCI warehouses, at-least in the valley area, though there is nothing to write about its administrative clout in the hills at the juncture.