Delirious Demand
NSF exposes its own delinquency before the nation
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 17, 2010 -

The news that the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) of Nagaland, which, according to NSCN-K, is on the payrole of NSCN-IM as its frontal organization like some others in Manipur, would suspend the ban it had imposed on Manipur-registered vehicles in Nagaland temporarily has received no word of thanks from anyone in Manipur.

In fact, nobody in his/her right senses considers the news as one that deserves the slightest thanks, and also nobody feels that the NSF was doing a favour to the people of Manipur.

The truth is that whether the NSF suspends its ban on the vehicles of Manipur or not, the people of Manipur including the transporters–drivers and owners of goods trucks, oil tankers and LPG bullet tankers have decided not to ply the NH 39 (Imphal-Dimapur road) through Nagaland.

It's very unlikely that people and transporters would resume traversing on this road in the near future, even if blockade or ban of any kind is not there.

It's anyone's knowledge–a common sense that whether NSF or any other vested interests, would be able to impose ban or blockade on Manipur vehicles on NH 39 in Nagaland for long because of many factors.

First of all, to impose a ban or blockade on movement of people and vehicles of a state transporting essential commodities for its population on a flimsy ground is a serious crime against the humanity and violation of the international humanitarian laws. Moreover, it's unconstitutional and illegal.

Secondly, not only the NSF but also the Government of Nagaland would receive flaks from every section of Indian society. Besides, there is a likelihood that the president and the general secretary of the NSF would have to be arrested and produced in court, if the issue is taken up in the Gauhati High Court.

If they avoid arrest, the High Court may deem it fit to proclaim them as "Wanted" offenders and announce rewards on their heads, just as had been done in the case of ANSAM president David Choro and UNC president Samson Remei.

Thirdly, Nagaland is losing a huge revenue, legal or otherwise by not having Manipur's vehicles ply along the NH 39 and thousands of passengers of Manipur travel on the same highway through Nagaland for a long period. The NSCN-IM, NSCN-K, Nagaland police and anti-social elements of all hues of Nagaland are missing the daily collection, extortion, tax, loot, etc that they used to earn when Manipur vehicles were plying along NH 39.

It's anyone's guess that there would have been a serious deficit in the budget of all these extortionists of Nagaland at present. Another significant loss is in business–roadside hotels, dhabas, shops, vendors, and more importantly, business in Dimapur town has drastically fallen.

In fact, business at the Hong Kong market in Dimapur where merchandise from Namphalong via Moreh and Imphal are taken and sold, has reportedly collapsed. These are just a part of the losses that Nagaland has been facing during the past one and half months of blockade by NSF and its friends in Manipur.

On the other hand, the NSF leaders have exposed their own delinquency by imposing ban on and setting fire to Manipur vehicles in Nagaland, and being unable to give a clearcut and convincing answer for all such crimes during interviews on TV news channels talecast throughout the NE region and the country a few days back.

The NSF leaders' statement that they were not demanding an inch of anybody's land but theirs (the Nagas'), and that Nagas are very much living there–meaning Manipur's districts, may be described as nothing but a delirium of a person whose senses have taken leave of him.

The statement is just a phrase they were taught to learn by rote and utter like a parrot, but meaningless and hollow. How would the NSF prove that the various tribes generally known as Nagas living in Nagaland are in every aspect one and the same tribes as those living in different parts of Manipur?

What are the common things that can bind the small tribes of Manipur together with the Nagas of Nagaland as the same tribe except for the fact that they are tribes and have tribal customs and traditions? Can the NSF genetically, culturally and historically prove that the tribes of Manipur are the descendants of Nagas of Nagaland?

The NSF, under any circumstances, has no right to talk about the people of Manipur. The incident of Mao gate on May 3 in which the president of NSF was barred from entering Manipur by the state police is immaterial and irrelevant.

If the report that the Chief Secretary of Manipur, DS Poonia, on behalf of the Government of Manipur, had expressed regret to the NSF for the Mao gate incident is true, then shame on the government!

How could the Government of Manipur stoop so low as to say sorry to such a frontal organization of NSCN-IM? The people of Manipur cannot be a party to it. On the other hand, the NSF's statement that ANSAM is a subordinate unit of NSF, and whatever it says or does, ANSAM has to follow, shows how the Nagas of Nagaland treat the so-called Nagas of Manipur.

Meanwhile, people of Manipur, especially the transporters, drivers and owners of the trucks and tankers of Manipur too have a long list of demands that must be fulfilled by the NSF, Nagaland Armed Police, both factions of NSCN, Government of Nagaland and Government of India.

Unless and until these demands are fulfilled, people of Manipur aren't willing to travel on NH 39 through Nagaland.