Manipur gets relief finally !

In a major relief for the long suffering people of Manipur, the United Naga Council on Monday suspended its economic blockade that had plunged the Northeastern state into a humanitarian crisis by choking off food, medical and fuel supplies. The blockade on NH-2 and NH-37, which entered its 121st day on Monday, will come to an end on Tuesday, ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s proposed visit to the state on December 3. “We have decided to temporarily lift the blockade on the two national highways from 6am Tuesday,” said Loli Adani, UNC president, in Tamenglong, Manipur. Besides facing acute shortage of life-saving drugs, people were forced to pay Rs 2,000 for an LPG cylinder and Rs 200 for a litre of petrol in the grey market. The decision was taken at a meeting of various Naga civic bodies convened by UNC at Tamenglong. The UNC is also seeking an alternative administrative arrangement for Nagas in Manipur. A key reason for suspending the blockade was Union home minister P Chidambaram’s recent assurance that the government, as committed by CM Okram Ibobi Singh, would not take any unilateral decision on the Sadar Hills issue without consulting the Nagas.