Highway to be opened for public : Imp-Spt bus service to resume today
ITLF to seal CCpur-Bpr border; CoTU, KISH object
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 22 2023:
Manipur State Transport's passenger bus service between Imphal and Senapati would be resumed from December 23 .
According to a public notice issued by Transport Director Dr Nivedita Lairenlakpam, there would be passenger bus service between Imphal and Senapati every working day with the bus departing from Imphal (BOC) at 9 am, and from Senapati district headquarters at 1.30 pm.
Even as the State Government has announced that the highway route from Imphal to Mao and from Imphal to Churachandpur would be opened to the public from December 23, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) and Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills (KISH) have raised strong objections to the plan to deploy additional security forces and open the highways to the public.
On December 21, the Home Department issued a public notice for deployment of additional forces along Imphal-Kangpokpi-Mao highway and Imphal-Bishnupur-Churachandpur highway for the convenience and security of the people.
The CoTU said that they considered the Home Department's notice as portraying normalization in a violence-hit State.
While appealing to the State Government to withdraw its order in toto, CoTU cautioned that any untoward incidents arising out of it would be the sole responsibility of the authorities concerned.
Meanwhile, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills, or KISH has also conveyed its vehement opposition to the Home Department public notice.
While strongly condemning the Manipur Government for their alleged discrimination against the Kuki-Zo community, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills clarified that any untoward incidents meted out to Meitei civilians in their movement along the highway will be the sole responsibility of the State Government.
On the other hand the Churachandpur based Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) today announced that the border between the districts of Churachandpur and Bishnupur would be sealed.
The ITLF, through a press release, announced that the border between the hill district of Churachandpur and the valley district of Bishnupur, would be sealed because of security concerns.
The ITLF stated that the step is being taken as they have alleged information that miscreants are planning to disrupt Christmas celebrations.
The ITLF has also called upon the people of Churachandpur district not to move out of the district from the period of December 23, 2023 till January 5, 2024 .
Similarly, non-tribals from outside the district have been told that they are not permitted to move inside the district during the said period.
The announcement by the ITLF comes even as the Christian majority Kuki populace of Churachandpur are bracing up to celebrate Christmas.
(With inputs from Agencies) .