Indefinite Highway Blockade from tonight
Bodies appeal for suspension of Blockade in view of Ningol Chakouba
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 20 2014: Amidst the hectic festive activities going on across the state for the ensuing Ningol Chakouba and Dipawali, the All Tribal Students Union is all set to resume its indefinite blockade on all national highways of Manipur from October 21 midnight.

ATSUM led by Muan Tombing has called the indefinite blockade under the code name 'Reckoning of the Other' (ROTO) in protest against the non-implementation of the agreement reached between the tribal student body and the state Government on November 25 last year.

Vehicular movements will be blocked on Imphal-Dimapur (National Highway-2), Imphal-Jiribam (National Highway-37), Imphal-Mizoram (National Highway-102), Imphal-Jessami (National Highway-150) and Imphal-Mizoram roads (National Highway-150 A), apart from banning all national projects taken up in the hill areas of Manipur, ATSUM president Muan Tombing announced on Monday.

Tombing appealed to all transporters including passenger transport services, commercial workers, unions and associations to cooperate with ATSUM in enforcing the blockade call and said he was hopeful the legitimate demands of the student body will be fulfilled if other pressure groups support it.

The ATSUM chief said the strike could have been avoided, had the Manipur Government taken a proactive approach towards implementing the demands of ATSUM.

Media and medical services will be exempted from the purview of the strike, he added.

Among others, ATSUM has been demanding the Manipur Government to provide proper infrastructure to all schools in hill areas, early setting up of B ED centres and power bifurcation to separate office of the Directorate of Education (S) Hills.

However, the Senapati District Student's Association (SDSA) and Kuki Student's Organization-Sadar Hills (KSO-SH) in different press statements have informed the general public that, the proposed bandh announced by All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) led by Muan Tombing will not be effective in Senapati district as both the tribal students' bodies are not part of the agitation, according to NNN.

General Secretary of SDSA Shakpa Maram and KSO-SH General Secretary Lamcha in their statements stated that, any confusion over the bandh should not prevail to the people as the bandh does not cover the Senapati district.

Meanwhile, several organizations of the state have appealed to the ATSUM to call off its blockade in view of the ensuing festival of Ningol Chakouba to be celebrated across the state on October 25 .

In a press meet held at the office of All Manipur Ethical Socio Cultural Organisation (AMESCO) at Imphal today, leaders of organizations including Manipur Nat Kanba Lup, All Manipur Art & Culture students Union and Manipur State Shumang Lila Council urged the tribal students body to suspend the blockade considering the biggest festival Ningol Chakouba of the state.

Saying that Ningol Chakouba is the biggest festival of the Manipuris particularly the Meeiets, AMESCO Advisor NS Guite stated that AMESCO has been organising the Ningol Chakouba programme with participation of all communities from 9 districts of the state with the objective of improving ties among various communities.

This year too, the Ningol Chakouba is being arranged at Iboyaima Shumang Lila Sanglen at Palace compound, he added.

While urging the ATSUM not to resort to agitations which bring hardships to the people, the organizations called upon all the organizations in Manipur to avoid calling any form of bandh or blockade on Ningol Chakouba day.

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