Total sanitisation of NH-02 essential for peace in state
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: March 01, 2025 -

THERE might be no instant change in prices of essential commodities but dismantling of four unauthorised checkpoints in Kangpokpi district sector of the National Highway-02 by security forces underscores that the new administration has firm resolve to remove all visible obstacles to ensure smooth vehicular movement which in turn would help expedite the process to restore normalcy in the strife-torn state.

Regardless of claims by Kuki civil society organisations that these checkpoints were set up for protection of the Kuki people, there were various instances of those manning the check gates subjecting every vehicle to intense checking, collecting unspecified amount of money on the basis of consignments transported by the commercial vehicles and even torching some for not paying the tax demanded.

Notably, had the checkpoint-cum-bunker demolition drive, which was carried out by central and state forces on Thursday, been initiated under the then BJP-led coalition government then it is obvious that the same would have sparked huge outpouring of outrage, and projected as discrimination of the Kuki community by the Meetei-centric state government, and labelled as anti-tribal and persecution of the 'innocent' tribal communities by the Meetei majority government.

Thus, with exception of accusing the security forces of dismantling the checkpoints under the pretext of highway expansion there has been no widespread outcries against the present administration from the Kuki organisations barring the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) condemning it as a targeted eviction drive.

In fact, CoTU has a record of blaming the then state government as and when steps were taken to bring relief and address suffering of the masses.

Ever since the violence broke out, CoTU and other Kuki organisations had been branding N Biren as Meetei-centric chief minister responsible for the unrest situation regardless of the fact that security advisor Kuldiep Singh has been the de facto home minister of the state and had the entire law and order machinery of the state under his command.

Apart from the state police, the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF and BSF units in Manipur also took instructions from Kuldiep, while chief minister N Biren, had no control over the state's law and order machinery.

With Biren serving as only the nominal head, Kuldiep has been acting in close consultation with the Union Home Ministry, including Ajay Bhalla, who was the home secretary.

In short, since Biren Singh had little control over the state law and order machinery, some socio-political commentators called as unfair to blame him for the violence that has rocked the state for the last 22 months.

Moreover, in-spite of the NH-02 serving as an important lifeline for the valley districts, goods brought through this highway stretch are transported to all parts of the state, including Kuki-populated districts like Chandel, Tengnoupal and Churachandpur, from warehouses and markets mainly concentrated in the capital city.

Thus, pending solution to the conflict, the new administration headed by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla seems determined to sanitise the highway from disruptive elements and address the scourge of random extortions along the highway stretch. Given the prevailing high rate of inflation, the Governor must direct the security officials working at the ground level to end the extortion scheme and consequently check rise of prices of essential goods.