Stand off over Dzuko Valley : Fresh round of blockade
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: June 02 2015 -

The issue is not new, neither is the mode of protest.

Yet another round of indefinite economic blockade and while the blockade sponsors seem to have a genuine point, it stands that subjecting Manipur to yet another round of economic blockade may not be in the best interest of the land and the people.

For long, Dzuko Valley has been a contested site, with Nagaland laying claims over it, though the map says otherwise.

Much before the blockade was called, there were protests galore, especially from the people of Mao, after an approach road was built to Dzuko Valley from the side of Nagaland.

With the State Government not doing much to set things right, a one day bandh was called some time back.

That not all threw their back behind the bandh call is a different matter, but the stand of the people was made in clear cut terms to the Government.

Obvious that the stand of the people in Manipur did not go down well with certain sections of people in Nagaland and this can be gauged from the report that travellers from Mao were stopped at the neighbouring State and told to turn back.

This was taking things too far but there is nothing to suggest that the Government of Nagaland has taken any steps to defuse the situation.

Peeved by the seeming indifference of the State Government and the action taken up by some people in Nagaland, the Committee for Khoziiri-Dzuko Land Boundary Resolution has announced that an indefinite economic blockade will be imposed on the Imphal-Dimapur stretch of the National Highway from midnight of June 1.

Even as the readers read this, the blockade must have come into force.

More than apparent that while blockade of any sort would jolt the senses of the Government, it also stands that it is the common people who stand to be most affected.

This is where a review of the blockade decision is needed.

Just how much the common people stand to be affected may be gauged from the serpentine queues that one saw at the petrol pumps the day the blockade decision made it to the front page of all the newspapers in Manipur.

Tough to say how the State Government will respond, but if the blockade decision is not rolled back, Manipur will be in the grip of yet another round of shortage.

Fuel scarcity will top the list followed by other essential commodities.

The past is enough lesson that during any period of scarcity, it is the common people who stand to be affected the most.

For those who have never hesitated from milking the people dry, a blockade must always sound like sweet music to their ears.

Fuel prices in the black market must have soared and if the blockade continues then prices of all other goods too will go sky high.

A perfect opportunity for black marketers to milk the situation and fatten their bank accounts.

Better for the protesters to think of other ways to pile the pressure on the Government.

Better still it would be for the Government to take up the matter with their Nagaland counterpart.

As the first step, perhaps the State Government may take up some measures to stop the road construction work on the side of Nagaland.

The Centre and the Government of Nagaland should be told to do the needful. The people too need to be on their toes and not be taken in by any rumours or loose talks.