Losses incurred in bandh/blockade worked out
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 28 2019 2019: Manipur lost around Rs 2016.14 crore due to bandhs and blockades starting from last year, till March this year according to Social Researcher Serto Tondana Kom.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today, Kom claimed that Manipur experienced a blockade by the Japanese during the last part of Second World War, in 1942, and for the first time after the war, an economic blockade was enforced in the State by ANSAM in 1981.During the two decades from 1981 to 2000, there were sixty episodes of National Highway bandhs and blockades which totalled to more than 360 days, he said.

He continued that the Supreme Court of India had also banned bandhs in 1998.And in 2004, the Supreme Court had fined BJP and Shiv Sena for organizing a bandh in Mumbai after the serial bomb blasts in the city.

Manipur Government had also banned such kind of activities on August 28 1999.He conveyed that according to the Department of Economics and Statistic, Manipur, the population in 1991 was 18,37149 and in 2011, the population was 28,55,794.The present estimated population of Manipur is 33,66,087 and the per capita income in 2018-19 is Rs 69,273 as per the domestic products of Manipur.

As per the official records from the State police intelligence, 88 days of bandh/general strike and seven days of economic blockade occurred from 2018 till March this year and due to the bandh and general strike, around Rs 190 is lost per day.

35 percent of the total State population (working people who are most affected by the bandhs and blockades) is 11,78,130.So per day if each of the said people loses Rs 190, the State loses around Rs 22,38,44,785 crore in total.

When multiplied by 88 days of bandh and 7 days of blockade, the State lost around Rs 2016.48 crore in total, during the period from 2018 to March 2019, he explained.

He continued that during the five years of his study on the matter, it came to light that such bandh and blockade crop up due to the lack of any long term solutions from the authorities concerned.

Awareness among the people is also very much needed regarding the matter so that they are well versed with the effects of bandh and blockade, the social researcher added.

He then explained that bandhs and blockades not only affect the people but also the State budget.

Comment