Goods laden truck torched near Tadubi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 21 2016: One Imphal-bound goods-laden truck has been torched by volunteers of United Naga Council (UNC) near Tadubi in Senapati district in the wee hours of Monday.

The ill-fated chicken feed loaded truck was set ablaze by economic blockade supporters near Tadubi village which is located about 36 kms east of Senapati district headquarters around 3.30 am.

The village is located about 91 kms from Imphal.

The volunteers have also taken hold of another four goods-loaded trucks in the area.

These trucks were loaded with vegetables and edible oil.

UNC's blockade call given over district creation issue has entered its 22nd day.

Goods laden truck torched near Tadubi

The Naga body is strongly opposed to the State Government's plan to make Sadar Hills of Senapati district and Jiribam subdivision of Imphal East as full-fledged districts.

There has been an overwhelming condemnation of the protracted blockade from the valley organisations that has hit the people hard.

Transhipment of consumer goods along Imphal-Dimapur highway and Imphal-Jiribam highway has been seriously disrupted due to the stir causing acute shortage of goods and price rise.

Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei yesterday criticised the ongoing economic blockade choking both the National Highways linking land-locked Manipur with other States, saying people here have suffered appalling hardship due to the relentless stir.

He said attention of the Centre's interlocutor to the Naga peace talks has been drawn by the State Government over the blockade issue.

The Deputy CM warned that the prolonged stir could derail the ongoing Naga peace process while calling for an end to it.

Gaikhangam also said the Centre should not sit back and remain idle at this crucial hour.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is understood to have apprised Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of the prevailing situation on Saturday.

A six-member team of UNC recently held talks with officials of Union Home Ministry at the National capital at the invitation of the latter over the blockade issue, but the talks failed to make any headway prompting the Naga organization to intensify the stir since then.

Congress Councillors of Sadar Hills resigned en masse from the party on November 18 over the issue of Sadar Hills stating that they felt betrayed and humiliated by the State Government's last minute cancellation of its plan to inaugurate Sadar Hills as a full-fledged district on November 1 .