Securing highways must for MST bus service
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: December 06, 2024 -

THOUGH the initiative to resume the Manipur State Transport bus services failed for the second time in two attempts due to absence of passengers on Wednesday, the fact that handful of people showed up to avail the service could be inferred as the public yearning for affordable means of travel, and sending out message to the government not to spare any efforts in persisting with the inter-district service.

The few passengers seen waiting for the buses might be for to and fro trips within the valley districts but their presence definitely implies that MST could better serve the public instead of idling its bus fleets on account of the state witnessing recurring bouts of violence since ethnic clashes between Meeteis and Kukis first erupted in May last year.

In December last year, the government made the first attempt to run state transport buses on the same routes after the violence broke out but suffered a setback as the buses had to return either due to absence of passengers or owing to barricades put up in Kuki areas by protesters.

With private transport service providers operating only on commercially viable routes, the government's move to resume MST bus service, if successful, would definitely ease inconveniences faced by the public to a great extent.

As per the government plan specified in the notification issued by the chief secretary on Tuesday, the MST buses would cover Mao from the state's capital via Kangpokpi and Senapati, with the second route extending up to Churachandpur via Bishnupur.

Of the two routes, the first seems feasible for effective operation as it would cover major hill towns like Senapati and Mao, which are home to communities not involved in the on-going communal conflict, whereas the second leads to Churachandpur, from where the violence originated and tension continues to simmer.

Apart from the neutral communities likely to opt for the MST service as the fare is relatively cheaper than the private carriers, it is obvious that those involved in the bitter conflict wouldn't take the risk.

As stated by transport minister Khashim Vashum, the government decided to resume the MST service for the convenience of public movement from hills to valley and vice-versa in view of the upcoming Christmas festival.

Along with urging the public to avail the service without hesitation, the minister also called upon all stakeholders and organisations not to disrupt the bus service in public interest.

Contrary to the opinion of minister Khashim that absence of potential travellers on the first day of the second attempt was due to lack of awareness among the public, objections raised by the Kuki organisations must have created sense of insecurity among the public.

In fact, on the same day chief secretary Dr Vineet Joshi made it public about the government's endeavour for regular and safe operation of the MST service, Kuki organisations raised objection, threatened to intensify their protest into an indefinite shutdown and termed the move as 'insensitive' transport policies.

Without any doubt, the threat by Kuki organisations based in Kangpokpi district was the primary reason for the public foregoing the idea of travelling on the MST buses, already readied for resumption of operation.

Thus, it is imperative that the government, utilise to the optimum, the unprecedentedly large number of security forces despatched by the union government to contain the violence and aid the establishment in maintaining law in securing at-least the state and national highways, even if the state government has been facing criticisms from various sections of the society over its failure to prevent violence in the fringe and remote villages.