Govt rushes more troops as Manipur still cut off

New Delhi: The Centre has rushed additional reinforcements to Manipur even as top home ministry officials described the situation in the state as highly alarming’’. Officials claimed that nearly 700 trucks carrying essential commodities and fuel are still stranded on the national highway which has been blocked for almost months now by a Naga outfit, United Naga Council (UNC).

Nearly 4,000 paramilitary personnel have been sent to Manipur in an attempt to open the national highway as Manipur has remained virtually cut off from the rest of the country resulting in acute shortage of essential commodities.

Following additional reinforcements sent on Monday, the total number of central paramilitary personnel in the sensitive state now tatals 17,500.

“Our main priority is now to reopen National Highway-2 which connects Manipur to Nagaland. The other highway, NH-37 has already been reopened but we want to reopen the NH-2 too as early as possible,” a senior home ministry official said.

Ministry officials said central security personnel were sent to the northeastern state to assist the local administration in the wake of violence following the economic blockade imposed by the UNC since November 1. The UNC has imposed the economic blockade on NH-2 which connects Imphal-Dimapur and NH 37 for Imphal-Jiribam which is the most important connection for the landlocked Manipur.

Curfew has been imposed in Imphal East district since the last fortnight after a mob torched and vandalised 22 passenger vehicles on the Imphal-Ukhrul road, while curfew in Imphal West district has been imposed from evening to dawn.

On Friday, the Centre had sent out a terse message to the Manipur government, saying that it can’t escape responsibility for the “humanitarian crisis” arising out of the 52-day economic blockade and that it must ensure it ends while making it clear that nobody will be allowed to take political advantage out of it.

Minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, who visited Manipur, said it is completely unacceptable to have such blockades due to which thousands are suffering and added that both the Centra and the Manipur government will work together to end it.

“The state government has not been able to end the blockade. It must end as soon as possible as law and order is the responsibility of the state government. Nobody will be allowed to take political advantage out of a humanitarian crisis where common people are suffering,’’ Mr Rijiju had earlier said.