Flare up over NSU site ; KSO relaxes shutdown call
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, January 07 2018: The proposed 36 hours total shutdown announced by KSO Sadar Hills along National Highway 2 from 6 am of January 8 has been relaxed following the assurance of the Government to hold talks with the student body tomorrow morning.

However, the 36 hours total shutdown will begin automatically the next morning from 6 am if the talks fail tomorrow, said the student body.

The decision to relax the proposed total shutdown was taken after Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen and YAS Minister Letpao Haokip intervened and initiated to hold talks with the State Government tomorrow morning over the demands of the student body.

The student body had decided to impose the 36 hours total shutdown along National Highway 2 in connection with the controversial National Sports University which allegedly created misunderstanding among the local people of L.Tangnaum village in Kangpokpi district and its neighbouring villages in Imphal West over land dispute.

It [KSO Sadar Hills] had already announced on December 22 its decision to impose the total shutdown last so as to give the denizens of Manipur to revise their respective travel plan and reiterated its decision to go ahead with the shutdown yesterday.

Speaking to media persons late in the afternoon, Thangminlen Kipgen, president KSO Sadar Hills said that the 36 hours total shutdown along National Highway 2 from 6 am of January 8 has been relaxed with immediate effect following the response of the Government to hold talks tomorrow morning over the issue of National Sports University.

He continued that Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen and YAS Minister Letpao Haokip intervened and "we had a joint meeting in the presence of KSO-GHQs where the two Ministers requested us to withdraw the total shutdown on the ground that they would initiate the ground to hold talks tomorrow with the Chief Minister over the issue." Even though "we feel the late response of the State Government is not satisfactory, in the interest of resolving the issue we considered the initiative of the Social Welfare Minister and YAS Minister and decided to relax the total shutdown," said the KSO Sadar Hills president.

He said that the National Sports University issue has been purposely neglected by the State Government which has now become a threat to the mutual understanding and love among the hill people and valley and added that many unfortunate incidents had already occurred in past over the issue, the recent one being on December 16 last year when villagers of Senjam Chirang and Senjam Khunou burnt down the wooden bridge, the only lifeline of L Tangnaum village.

He further said that even after that ugly incident, the B JP led coalition Government failed to address the grievances of L Tangnaum village, whose only connectivity had been burnt down in broad daylight, compelling the KSO to reconstruct the bridge on December 22.He reiterated that the reconstruction of the bridge is a message to the State Government that they are not the only source of "our livelihood and we can manage things on our own if the need arises and it is also to protest the Government negligence and discriminatory attitude.

"To protest the negligence of the State Government to resolve the issue of National Sports University and the discriminatory attitude towards the people of L Tangnaum village in particular and Kangpokpi district as a whole the decision to impose the 36 hrs total bandh was taken in a joint meeting of CSOs" asserted Thangminlen Kipgen.

He also expressed hope that the State Government will work to bring an amicable solution during tomorrow's talks in the interest of peace and welfare of the people.

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