The Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) demanding upgradation of Sadar hills area which presently lies under Senapati district into a full fledged revenue district for the administrative convenience, imposed an indefinite blockade on the National Highways 39 and 53,the two life lines of Manipur since July 31st midnight.

Since then, as many as a dozen government offices and a similar number of vehicles were set ablaze in the Sadar Hills area comprising three subdivisions (Kangpokpi, Saikul and Saitu-Gamphazol) which claimed to have a population of around 1,88529 (2011 census) besides severely impacting prices of the essential commodities in the land-locked state.

SHDCC representatives have had two rounds of unfruitful talks with the O Ibobi Singh led government team which forced a 37 member SHDCC delegation including MLAs and district council members to air dash to New Delhi to present the demand to the President, Prime Minister and Home Minister.

The delegation met the Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram separately on August 17th and 18th respectively and urged them to intervene and advise the Manipur Government to upgrade Sadar hills area into a full fledged revenue district of Manipur by submitting separate memoranda.

In it’s memorandum to the Union Home Minister, SHDCC said that when Manipur attained statehood in 1972, the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act, 1971 was passed by the Parliament for the creation of six Autonomous District Councils with the intention that all of them will ultimately become full fledged districts of which Sadar Hills District is one. All the other Five District Councils (Chandel, Churachandpur, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul) have been converted into full fledged districts more than thirty years ago whereas, Sadar Hills District is kept as part of the Senapati district till date, it added.

 

All the other Five District Councils have been converted into full fledged districts more than thirty years ago whereas, Sadar Hills District is kept as part of the Senapati district till date

While the SHDCC sponsored economic blockade entered its 20th day, the United Naga Council (UNC), an apex body of Nagas in Manipur imposed an indefinite highway bandh from August 21st. UNC’s stand came close on the heels of holding simultaneous mass rallies against the alleged attempt to bifurcate ‘Naga areas’ to create Sadar Hills and Jiribam districts, at the four hill districts headquarters of Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul on August 19th. UNC said that the Nagas have signed four MoUs with the government of Manipur wherein the MoU of 1998 stated that the resolution to the conflict on the issue of Sadar Hills will be brought about through a consensus of the peoples concerned in the interest of bringing about lasting peace and harmony.

Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi had also repeatedly said that though the demand is reasonable, the governments in the past have not simply conceded to the demand. Therefore it needs serious discussion.

The prolonged economic blockade and subsequent indefinite highway bandh on the roadlinks to Manipur has led to scarcity of life saving drugs and petroleum products besides impacting the prices of food-grain.

The issue even rocked the second day of the Manipur Assembly session on August 25th forcing the house of 60 to have a short duration discussion. However, two MLAs (Thangminlien Kipgen and Haokholet Kipgen) from the Sadar Hills area assembly constituencies - Kangpokpi and Saitu, said that the people of the area have waited 40 years and can not wait any longer. They insisted on immediate creation of the district. Interestingly senior opposition member O Joy of Manipur People’s Party had even moved a private member’s resolution for the constitution of a district reorganization commission of Manipur in view of the effective and efficient administration of the state on the August 26th session.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh on the other hand appealed to both the agitating groups to call off the blockades saying that the government will take a decision once the state Chief Secretary led committee which was constituted following a cabinet decision, submits a report to the government within three months. He said he does not want to create another problem while solving a problem. However the Chief Minister’s appeal is yet to pacify the agitators as they continue their bandh and blockades till the filing of this report.