Capitalising On NH 53 Opportunities never go wasted; what one misses, another grabs it
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 24, 2010 -

An interesting drama of making and unmaking of heroes is being witnessed by the people of Manipur during these past few days. A lonely and isolated Cabinet Minister in the SPF ministry has suddenly acquired the status of a hero overnight. How long it will last doesn't really matter.

A Chief Minister, whose popularity hit all time high and became a hero out of "zero," as his detractors used to criticize, after he stood up to the Centre and refused to allow NSCN-IM leader Th Muivah to enter Manipur, has been made to look like a wimp who can't send the trucks on National Highway 53 under security escorts to transport the essential commodities.

This interesting development that unfolded during the past few days has caught the attention of the people of the state veering some degrees off the issue of Th Muivah's much publicized determination to visit Manipur. Minister of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution, Yumkham Irabot, who unquestionably remains loyal to some Congress leaders in Delhi but not to his own SPF government headed by Chief Minister O Ibobi in the state, and for which remains isolated and lonely, even to the status of an outcast among his Cabinet colleagues and party legislators, has shot into the limelight as a popular leader and Minister after he returned from his unannounced tour to Jiribam on the National Highway 53.

He travelled on the Imphal-Jiribam highway along with ten of his security escorts and four personal security officers and a team of handpicked reporters to find out for himself the situation on the highway and whether it would be feasible for the goods trucks to ply.

He burst out in anger and disappointment while talking to newsmen recently, and openly criticized the Chief Minister and the Government for not sticking to a Cabinet decision taken earlier to start sending the goods trucks on NH 53 under security escorts.

He also vehemently criticized the Government's policy of sending the goods trucks on NH 150, also known as Guite Road from Churachandpur via Singhat, Singjol in Manipur, Aizawl in Mizoram and Silchar in Assam.

Minister Irabot reached Jiribam and returned to Imphal along with the goods trucks. On his way back home, Irabot was received by big crowds, garlanded, showered with flower petals and treated as a "hero".

Obviously, it was a divine political opportunity for anyone to grab. Any Minister or MLA, individually or in team, who happened to have grabbed the opportunity would have naturally been treated as hero/heroes. It only needed will, possibly some forethoughts and political acumen to grab the opportunity.

But it must be clear to all that most of the loaded trucks arrived in Imphal as had been planned earlier. Various Security Forces had been requested by the State Government to provide security and conduct road opening patrol. Besides, IRB personnel were sent to escort the trucks.

Because of this, and not for any other reason, the goods trucks arrived in Imphal on the evening of Saturday. Then there's another angle connected to the visit of Minister Irabot to Jiribam.

Reports received from Jiribam said that eight trucks loaded with rice that had been detained at the FCS godown at Jiribam by the local womenfolk since the past fortnight were allowed to leave along with the Minister after he had talks with the womenfolk.

Those eight trucks had delivered rice to the people of Tamenglong district. That supply of rice was what had been eagerly (hungrily) awaited in the district. It's no wonder then that there was not much attack on the convoy of trucks on Saturday. But there were heavy attacks on the trucks that came without security escorts at Noney area yesterday (Sunday - 23 may 2010).

The intelligence reports that the blockade supporters were preparing to attack the trucks with rain of boulders and stones from atop hills have now been proved true.

Many trucks were damaged and many drivers sustained injuries, some seriously. Therefore, the threats from the anti-Manipur elements on NH 53 still exist. Just a visit of an armed Minister with security escorts will not bring an end to the menaces that the unarmed truckers and passengers face on the highway. Minister Y Irabot may be a hero. But the true heroes and heroines are the truck drivers/handimen and the passengers who possess no licensed guns on their persons and wear no bulletproof vests, and do not have the privilege of being protected by armed security escorts and PSOs, but still have the courage to travel on the highway knowing fully well that they may come across the highwaymen and the anti-social elements. Those who passed through the dangers on the highway are the real heroes and heroines. Meanwhile, the test of the state Government's courage and sincerity is not yet over. There are still more challenges to be faced. The government can regain what it lost during the past few days with determined action in the days to come.