Starting and ending with economic blockade!
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: November 23, 2021 -

IF at all the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur decides to prolong its indefinite economic blockade in Manipur sector of the two national highways, which began from Monday, then it would be a record of sorts for the N Biren-headed coalition government.

By bringing an end to the longest ever economic blockade called by the United Naga Council against the creation of new districts, the present government started on a bright note and has so far managed to keep the highways free from disruptive elements that hold the belief that cutting off the supply lines is the righteous mode of agitation to bring the establishment on its knees.

However, the government's enviable feat; of getting rid of bandh and blockade culture is under serious threat at the juncture as ATSUM seems to have taken a firm resolve not to relent till the proposed ADC Bill has been enacted.

While Manipur has been synonymous with public movement on account of varied socio-political demands and aspirations of the different ethnicgroups, so far the agitations launched to draw the government's attention either evoked lukewarm response from the public or the authorities succeeded in pacifying the agitated parties and in bringing them across the negotiating table to iron out the differences.

By virtue of impressing upon the agitators that the government is ready to listen to their grievances, the state has been relatively free from disruptive movement subsequently emboldening the N Biren government to proclaim that the law and order situation is under control.

Thus, it is obvious the present regime would want to continue the legacy in the run-up to the assembly polls.

By putting in the public domain white paper detailing developmental funds utilised in the hill areas, the government has demonstrated that it is fully prepared to ridicule allegations of administrative disparity between the hills and the valley.

As empowerment of the Autonomous District Councils has been one of the demands that many hill-based organisations have been constantly raising, the white paper was expected to silence the critics as the document was meant to drive home the point that there has been adequate funding for infrastructure development in the hill areas.

With non-tabling of the proposed ADC Bill continued to be interpreted as suppression of rights of the hill dwellers coupled with tribal organisations as well as political leaders from the hills alleging government apathy, the white paper was conceived to dispel the suspicion that successive governments in Manipur had been, politically and developmentally, discriminating against the hill dwellers.

Disenchantment among various sections of the tribal populace was also reflected in the form of the Hill Areas Committee of Manipur Legislative Assembly deciding in July 1990 to skip elections to the ADCs unless the provisions of the Sixth Schedule were extended.

Regardless of the ADCs reduced to a non-viable entity for over two decades, the councils were revived with the successful conduct of elections for efficient local self-governance.

However, voices of dissent being raised over the botched ADC Bill as the election date draws nearer suggests that the government must chalk up strategies effective enough to avert the ignominy of signing off its tenure with economic blockade, ending of which it had started its innings.