HAC Chairman censures economic blockade
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 04 2023:
Nungba MLA Dinganglung Gangmei alias Dipu, who is also the chairman of Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, has criticised the indefinite economic blockade imposed by All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), which began from Friday.
In a post on X, the MLA expressed his strong disapproval of ANSAM for enforcing the indefinite economic blockade in response to the state government's failure to restore mobile Internet services.
Dipu Gangmei condemned the blockade as a senseless and detrimental action which would only compound suffering of people of all communities in the state.
The economic blockade, which ANSAM initiated, began on Friday in denunciation of the state government's continuation of ban on mobile internet services.
The decision to impose the blockade was taken during ANSAM's second legislative assembly on October 31 in Tamei, Tamenglong district.
ANSAM had previously signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the state government, in which the government assured to restore internet connectivity within five days and release the recruitment results for 190 assistant professors.
Chairman Dinganglung urged ANSAM to reconsider their stance and adopt a more practical and realistic approach, emphasising that the economic blockade only exacerbates the challenges being faced by people of the state.
"Today, in this time of crisis, ANSAM's apathy to the sufferings and pains faced by our fellow brothers and sisters of our state has been manifested.
My conscience is pricked by such a senseless, minuscule mindset.
I do not endorse the ANSAM economic blockade.
The term economic blockade itself is anathema to peace and prosperity in society.
We all will suffer, irrespective of which community we belong to.
This economic blockade, just for an internet ban, is completely unjustified.
This step is just like shooting at our own foot.
Our government is willing to announce Assistant Professors' results, but ANSAM refused until the internet ban is lifted.
Let's all advise them to be realistic and practical", the HAC chairman wrote on X .