The fragile economy
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: July 15 , 2013 -

The negative impact of bandh or blockade on the normal day to day activities of the people, particularly the daily wage earners, has always been well-documented and highlighted in the media.

This is mainly because the external manifestation of such bandhs and blockades like closure of market places, deserted roads, etc, are so ubiquitous.

But the indirect impact of bandh/blockade on the overall economy and administration of the State, even though more far reaching, has always remained behind the background as if nothing really matters.

Bandh/blockade affects everyone and everything, and it is high time to realize this fact, especially in Manipur, where the trend of calling bandh and blockade at the drop of a hat by every sundry organization to press their demand or exert pressure on the Government to redress their grievances has become a norm rather than an exception.

Frequent imposition of bandh or blockade in Manipur today does not mean just disruption of normal day to day activities of the people a day or two, or more, but rippling effect in all sectors.

More importantly, the prevailing bandh culture in Manipur has underlined the widening gap between the people and those who governed them.

In such a situation, the mindset of any aggrieved party is to think of taking recourse to such extreme steps as the only possible means to achieve their demands or make the authorities concerned of the State Government to sit up and take notice of their grievances.

On the other hand, the State Government and its authorities concerned have been doing nothing precious to redress the grievances of the aggrieved parties other than giving some assurances that would never be implemented or coming up with some ad-hoc solutions for the problem to rear up its head every now and then.

So, the vicious circle has continued year after year without giving any respite to anyone.

But as they said better late than never, the time has come for the State Government to put on its thinking cap and do something serious to put an end to the prevailing bandh culture in Manipur so as to save its fragile economy from the crippling impact of bandh/blockade.

How could the Government of a resource-starved State like Manipur, which depends on everything brought from outside for sustenance of its people and runs its economy on the annual plan outlay doled out by the Planning Commission of India in a piecemeal manner, remains oblivious to the loss of Rs 2,050 crores over the last six months on account of 75 days of bandh and blockade called by various organizations? Mind you, the annual plan outlay of Manipur for the financial year 2013-14 is just Rs 3,650 crores!!

With any type of bandh/blockade called in Manipur invariably include Imphal-Moreh road, the reported loss of Rs 15 crores daily from disruption of border trade activities during such bandh and blockade should be enough to ring the alarm bell in the mind of both the parties calling bandh/blockade and the Government authorities.

Because any shift in the focus of border trade activities from Moreh to elsewhere would surely hit harder the already fragile-economy of the State beyond comparison.

After all, the border trade activity through Moreh is the only saving grace for an otherwise dependent State economy, giving hope to its people for a bright and prosperous future even though the trade volume may not be so appreciable at the moment.