Imphal, May 27 2010: Taking cue from the unusually frequent economic blockades imposed on National Highway 39 and 53 by Naga bodies, the Centre is contemplating formulation of a national policy to ban such blockades anywhere in the country.

This was announced by the Union Home Secretary GK Pillai during a meeting with a team of social workers from Manipur held yesterday in Delhi.

Lt Col (Retd), L Lokendra told this newspaper from Delhi that the Union Home Secretary, GK Pillai revealed about formulating a national policy to ban economic blockade to a team of four social workers from Manipur.

The team met the Union Home Secretary to apprise him of the present situation in Manipur that arose from the proposed visit of NSCN-IM leader Th Muivah.

The four persons who met GK Pillai are L Lokendra, Retd Maj Angamba, social worker Amrik Singh Pahwa and K Premnanda Sharma.

The team of four met the Union Home Secretary at about 11 am yesterday and had thorough discussions about the unwanted situation in Manipur for about 25 minutes.

The team urged the Home Secretary to frame a national policy to ban economic blockade frequently imposed by certain organisations on the National Highways in Manipur.

The team apprised GK Pillai of the sufferings being faced by the people of Manipur due to the over 42 days-old economic blockade called by ANSAM and other Naga bodies.

Lokendra further informed that the team asked the Home Secretary whether the Government of India would remain silent if the Gorkha Mukti Morcha (GMM), in its demand for forming Gorkhaland, calls economic blockade on the National Highways for a long period like the Naga bodies are doing in Manipur, or rein in the GMM.

Lt Col (Retd) Lokendra said that Pillai told them categorically that the Centre had asked Muivah not to enter Manipur, and he can not enter the state.

Pillai also told them that the boundary of Manipur would never be changed.

This had been made very clear to the interlocutor of Government of India, RS Pandey.

Therefore, the people of Manipur should not have any fear on this issue.

Lokendra said that seven of them had come to Delhi on their own expenses about a fortnight ago and had been camping in Delhi since then with the sole purpose of meeting and informing the Centre leaders about the issues of Manipur.

Among the seven persons are Col (Retd) Haobam Bhuban, Advocate of Gauhati High Court, Salam Rupachandra, Maj (Retd) Yambem Angamba and one Bhavananda.

The team of seven also met the spokesperson of BJP, Prakash Javedkar who had come to Manipur recently.

The team also met another BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi yesterday.

He knows about the issues of Manipur very well.

He categorically asserted that BJP will oppose any move of the NSCN-IM to form a greater Nagaland by disintegrating Manipur, Lt Col (Retd) Lokendra conveyed to this newspaper.

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