The National Highway (NH)-39 that connects Manipur with the rest of the country is very important so also for Nagaland as these two States are mostly depending on this Highway. But weighing up the pros and cons of this NH, it is dearer to the people of Manipur. That is why, we normally call it as the 'lifeline of Manipur". Hundreds of trucks are pressed into service for importing most of the essential commodities, besides exporting timbers from Manipur to other parts of the country, though it is currently banned through a Supreme Court order.

Over thirty passenger buses are plying daily while over ninety percent of all transportations are taking place on this NH-39, though the State is linked with the rest of the country through another NH-53 - via Jiribam in Manipur's last border to Silchar in Assam. These two NHs are very important especially for the State of Manipur. But the NH that is going through the heart of Nagaland capital, Kohima to Dimapur is having lot of advantages because of the topographic and land position. Imphal-Dimapur road is 216 kms long and almost half of it lies inside Nagaland. The road is also wider and friendlier and less accident-prone than the one Imphal to Silchar, besides Dimapur is centrally located with maximum facilities.

Majority of Students, pilgrims, businessmen and those who are having various official engagements in national capital or other parts of the country go through this NH-39-"Imphal-Dimapur road". They will catch their trains, buses, etc for their respective destinations. At the same time, hundreds of people are also returning to their home State daily from different places. It is more pathetic to see at the time of students' admissions as well as vacations. Even most of the patients from Manipur who require outside treatments struggle through this highway as only few elite and higher echelons in the society can afford fights. But there is a series of untold miseries the passengers as well as truck drivers who are engaged in transporting essential commodities have been undergoing ordeals on this NH-39.

Over the years, truck drivers and owners in Manipur have been confronting with the authorities in the State over security issues. They have been accusing State Government of failure to provide adequate security cover to the trucks plying on NH-39. We have seen how militants burnt down laden oil tankers in the midst of security escorts who watched helplessly the burning tankers. One can easily imagine how the poor drivers have been undergoing all these untold hardships. They are not only made to suffer unnecessarily but also scapegoats by the Babus sitting in Imphal who have never traveled these areas. These poor drivers are nothing to do with what it called tax collection of underground groups on the NHs. It is more to do with these Babus in Imphal. We also often hear of unidentified gunmen indulging in looting in passenger buses.

There are also reports that some miscreants carrying out these crimes in the name of some underground organizations. This can be seen from the recent clarifications made by the NSCN (IM) that has denied its hand in collecting taxes in NH-39-Imphal-Moreh sector. The outfit has also disclosed that they have arrested at least three persons involved in looting from the vehicles plying on NH-39 in Senapati district area.

There are also reports of passengers being looted and robbed in Karbi Anglong areas in Assam side by unidentified gunmen but most of the times they got off scot-free. Every year especially during rainy season, heavy landslides occur on NH-39-Imphal-Dimapur Road. It has become an annual feature which gives unaccountable hardships to both the people of Nagaland and Manipur. Passengers have nightmarish experiences during rainy season as they met most of the landslides occurred during this period. The landslide occurred in between Mao and Tadubi on NH-39 is just nothing to compare with the one happened in between Lalmati to Kohima inside Nagaland. During such period, even about a thousand Manipur vehicles including passenger buses remained stranded for weeks. And the most sufferers were the passengers as they were compelled to spend even for days inside the trapped buses besides being hard up since they were returning to their home State from different destinations including far off places.

In such a situation, they became helpless unlike those truck drivers who, normally knew the season, arranged stocks for meeting such kind of unwanted situation on the NHs. Those having money could manage to go back to Dimapur to catch bus for Guwahati and from there they took flight for Imphal. But this is an exception for the rich few. The shocking scene is of those poor passengers becoming vulnerable and easy prey. At the same time, prices of all the essential commodities in Manipur are skyrocking, though voluntary organizations like All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) has vigorously campaigned not to increase prices. Despite Center's funds for construction NH-150--Tipaimukh to Jessami via Imphal--with the commitment of completing it in record time; the road is not likely to be seen as a road in the next 10 years if the present situation continues. The new highway is to cover a stretch of 524 kms in Manipur starting from Tipaimukh in Churachandpur district to Jessami in Ukhrul district.

The Border Road Organization has been entrusted for construction of this new highway to complete but they are reluctant due to security season. NH-53 connecting Imphal to Jiribam is also still facing lot of problems due to security reasons. They are demanding at least three battalions of BSF if they are to start work on Churachandpur side. To make the situation worse, the Center has claimed that law and order problem is State subject whereby they have nothing to do with such security matters. Whereas State Government is not in a position to meet such huge demands of security personnel for the construction of NHs. Both Central as well as State Government is trying only to exploit maximum benefit by playing NH cards.

Even State politicians are trying to gain a narrow political gain out of this NH issues since both Center and State have clearly known the highly sensitive nature of the issue. It is very unfortunate that we have this kind of leaders today to rule the State. Otherwise the issue of NHs could have been solved long back. Border Road Organization is also responsible for the construction and maintenance of the NH 39 in Nagaland sector. State Government (Nagaland) used to ask the Center time to time to repair the roads, particularly the badly affected parts of the NH near Kohima. Border Roads Director General, Lt General AK Puri, who visited the State in April 2000 and inspected the landslides-hit-areas, said Rs 35 lakh was spent 1999 to repair the roads affected by landslides and spent another about Rs 30 lakh 2000 for the same affected area. He wanted to have affected areas of NH repaired that would last for at least some years.

Although the Center has provided funds for the maintenance of national highways, to prevent of subsidence on the National highways particularly in the hill section of Imphal-Dimapur road will be an impossible task, because in the hill areas, no one can predict where and when subsidence will occur during rainy season. If downpour occurs for at least two days, there will be many subsidences in hill sections on National highway 39. During such season, passenger buses plying on NH-39-Imphal-Dimapur road should always keep themselves informed of the line and those Manipur truck drivers carrying essential commodities or other goods should not attempt to overload their vehicles which sometimes posed threat to other fellow vehicles stranded, besides less secure for them to withstand when hundreds remained trapped on the roadsides.

Nagaland traffic personnel too were finding tough times and they were compelled sometimes to release stranded Manipur trucks on phase-wise manner in view of the problems arose in Manipur. Once Kohima Superintendent of Police I Toshitsunga Aier had to plead with Manipur truck drivers to be conscious of the prevailing condition during rainy season and requested them not to come overloaded. Since this NH-39 is one of the most-used roads for the people of Nagaland and Manipur, the Center in collaboration with the State Governments should work out strategy to minimize the problems being faced by the trucks drivers and the passengers. And the people especially elders, leaders, student leaders inhabiting along the NHs should be taken into confidence and the State Government should initiate steps to coordinate with them to find out ways and means to solve the NH-related crimes. Though it may not give expected results but will mitigate up to some extent. And unless cooperation from these leaders is sought; no tangible solution on the NHs' problems is expected. Don't try to isolate them on issues related to the people of Manipur. Let them have their due share of responsibility that is one way making towards a stronger State also.