Rongmei team hailed for lifting highway blockade
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 23 2024:
Following their successful intervention to lift the blockade imposed on the Jiribam-Imphal section of the national highway, the delegation of Rongmei tribe was greeted by locals at Khumbong Keithel.
The delegation comprising executives of Rongmei organisations was instrumental in ensuring resumption of movement of goods and petroleum tankers towards Imphal, earning heartfelt appreciation from the community for their efforts in resolving the crisis and promoting camaraderie.
As a result, several goods trucks and petroleum tankers that had been stranded in Jiribam reached Imphal on Sunday.
The blockade had been in place, following the escalation of violence in Jiribam district after the brutal murder of a Meetei farmer.
Kuki women, reportedly backed by armed Kuki militants, had blocked the highway, leaving goods trucks stranded.
The Rongmei tribe, worried by impact of the blockade, initiated efforts to resolve the situation.
Delegations from Rongmei civil society organisations (CSOs), led by Rongmei Naga Council (RNC) and Rongmei Naga Students' Organisation (RNSO), engaged with the protestors to persuade them to lift the blockade.
During their discussions, the Rongmei representatives emphasised that the national highway should not be controlled by any single community and that such blockades were detrimental to all, especially the villages along NH 37, predominantly inhabited by the Rongmei community.
They told the protestors that the highway belonged to all communities and that blocking it creates unnecessary hardships.
The Rongmei CSOs also reassured transporters and urged them to continue their service along the highway without fear, while assuring that Rongmei volunteers would accompany the convoy of trucks to ensure their safety.
This intervention helped the arrival of 140 petroleum tankers, 172 LPG bullet tankers, and 12 other goods trucks in Imphal on Sunday around 1 pm.
Upon their return from Jiribam, the Rongmei delegations were accorded warm welcome by locals at Khumbong Keithel.
The Coordinating Committee POL & Bulk LPG Drivers played a key role in organising the welcome.
In an interaction with the media at Khumbong Keithel, Rongmei Naga Students' Organisation (RNSO) president Daichui expressed his gratitude for the warm reception.
He stated that their actions were not against any Community but aimed at alleviating the hardships faced by all communities in the state.
Daichui highlighted that during their visit to Jiribam, they met with both Kuki and Meetei communities.
The Kuki people agreed to lift the blockade when they explained the severe impact it is having on the population amid the ongoing crisis.
The Rongmei delegations emphasised that while bandhs to press for developmental works might be understandable, such blockades during crisis were uncalled to which the Kuki representatives assured no further disturbances on the highway.
Thangjam Chandrakumar, a member of the Coordinating Committee POL & Bulk LPG Drivers, expressed gratitude towards the Rongmei community for their intervention and commended the Rongmei CSOs for their stance on the national highway, while endorsing that it is not the property of a single community but belongs to all.
The collaborative efforts of the Rongmei community and their engagement with the Kuki protestors played a pivotal role in restoring the flow of essential supplies to Imphal, he noted.