Imphal, August 05 2010: The decision of the SPF government to send a ministerial team to hold talks with the agitating UNC and ANSAM, in a move to end the economic blockade on national highways came under sharp criticism from RK Anand opposition MLA of MPP.

As per a decision of the Cabinet Ministers of the SPF government, three Cabinet ministers are to proceed to Senapati district headquarters to hold talks with the leaders of the UNC and ANSAM who are imposing an economic blockade on the national highway 39 and 53 in the state.

The imposition of a 20-day economic blockade while the people are yet to recover from the burnt out the 68-day blockade is tantamount to violation of the right to life of the people.

Government should not take it lightly and declare the blockade perpetators as "serious criminals" and punish them according to law, MLA RK Anand said today. Talking to reporters at his residence at Kwakeithel Akham Leikai, the MLA said the imposition of frequent blockades on the national highways by some civil organisations is tantamount to violation of Article 21 of Indian Constitution which deals with the right to life.

The imposition of blockade on the lifelines of the people has caused an economic crisis.

It violated the right to life of all sections of people inhabiting the state, Naga, Kuki or Meetei.

It is also unfortunate that human rights activists are remaining mum, he blamed, expressing that their inaction extending support to the UNC and ANSAM.

RK Anand also criticized the Central government for giving a free hand to the NSCN (IM) extort money from travelers, truckers and passenger buses asking how long the outfit is going to hold people of the state to ransom.

He also observed that Th Muivah and his outfit NSCN(IM)'s efforts to disintegrate the territorial integrity of Manipur by claiming a separate history of the Nagas has created disunity among the different communities in the state which have been residing together since time immemorial.

"We have to fight so long as Muivah's dream of breaking the state in the name of an unique history of the Naga which is a myth still exists," he said.

He also said that if Muivah was fighting for the cause of unity of the peoples of the North Eastern region of the country and for unification of the different states, he would have got support of all sections of the people in the region.

Instead of fighting for the indigenous people of the region, he is fighting only for the Nagas.

That is why he could not get support from other sections of the people in the region, Anand observed, terming the NSCN (IM) leader as a mean minded trouble creating leader in the region.

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