Nagas end 139day blockade

RELIEF BJP govt in Manipur agrees to free United Naga Council chief, close cases against its leaders

IMPHAL: Manipur’s almost fivemonth-old economic blockade, the longest so far in the history of the state, was lifted on Sunday midnight — four days after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government assumed office.

United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of Nagas in the state, decided to call off the 139day long blockade of the state’s two national highways, after talks on Sunday with representatives from the state and Centre.

“The blockade will be lifted from Sunday midnight following an understanding reached during the talks,” UNC general secretary S Milan told HT over phone from district headquarters of Senapati, 60 km of Imphal.

According to the agreement, the state government will unconditionally release UNC president Gaidon Kamei and its publicity secretary Stephen Lamkang, who are in jail, and will also close all cases against Naga leaders.

Manipur has been reeling under the blockade called by the UNC to protest the creation of Sadar Hills and Jiribam into full fledged districts by the state’s erstwhile Congress government.

While the UNC maintained the new districts affect the interests of the Nagas, the Congress government said it was done for administrative convenience.

The blockade was a major issue during the state elections, with the BJP promising to end it soon after assuming power.

The state’s first BJP chief minister, N Biren Singh, after assuming office on March 15 said that his government’s first priority would be to hold talks with the Naga body and end the blockade.

In the initial months of the blockade, the state witnessed scarcity of supplies especially petroleum products and medicines. It eased a bit when convoys of trucks started reaching Imphal under heavy security.

Three security personnel were killed and over a dozen injured in attacks allegedly by cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) during the blockade.

Sunday’s talk was held by Additional Chief Secretary Suresh Babu and Commissioner (Home) Radha Kumar representing Manipur government while Joint Secretary, the ministry of home affairs North East in-charge Satyender Garg represents government of India.

The next round of tripartite talks is expected to be held within a month.