Raghvendra Rao
New Delhi : Waking up to the 64-day-old blockade of two critical National Highways that has crippled the supply of essential commodities to Manipur, the Centre today decided to use paramilitary forces to end the blockade. A few hours later, Naga leaders, after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to temporarily “relax” the blockade.The Prime Minister told members of the Nagaland Students’ Federation (NSF) delegation that they were like his “own children”, that the country belonged to all and “brothers should not fight”.
After the meeting, the NSF announced it had decided to temporarily relax the blockade in response to the PM’s appeal for a peaceful resolution. The NSF also clarified that its move was not in reaction to “threats of use of force” but because of the fact that it respected the PM.
Over 2,200 security personnel of the CRPF — 22 companies — will be used to deal with blockade on NH 39 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH 53 (Imphal-Silchar), said officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“We have decided to send Central forces to remove the blockade,” said Union Home Secretary G K Pillai.
Both highways have been blocked by different Naga groups since April 12 in protest against Imphal’s decision not to let NSCN leader Thuingaleng Muivah visit his ancestral home in Manipur.
The NSCN has been demanding a Greater Nagaland, seeking integration of Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh with Nagaland.
After the meeting, the NSF announced it had decided to temporarily relax the blockade in response to the PM’s appeal for a peaceful resolution. The NSF also clarified that its move was not in reaction to “threats of use of force” but because of the fact that it respected the PM.
Over 2,200 security personnel of the CRPF — 22 companies — will be used to deal with blockade on NH 39 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH 53 (Imphal-Silchar), said officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“We have decided to send Central forces to remove the blockade,” said Union Home Secretary G K Pillai.
Both highways have been blocked by different Naga groups since April 12 in protest against Imphal’s decision not to let NSCN leader Thuingaleng Muivah visit his ancestral home in Manipur.
The NSCN has been demanding a Greater Nagaland, seeking integration of Naga-inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh with Nagaland.
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