Even as the Naga Students? Federation (NSF) has agreed to temporarily withdraw its highway blockade against Manipur from 6 pm on Tuesday, the Union home ministry has called an emergency meeting of chief secretaries of Manipur and Nagaland in the national capital tomorrow to find ways to free NH39 and NH53 from the ongoing blockade.
The Manipur portions of the two highways continue to be under a blockade called by the All Naga Students? Association of Manipur, United Naga Council and other Naga groups of Manipur since April 11 in protest against polls to the autonomous district councils in the state. Interestingly, contrary to Union home secretary GK Pillai?s statement in New Delhi on Monday that para-military forces would be deployed to remove the blockade from Tuesday, a statement issued by the PIB on Tuesdayday said the deployment would take place ?shortly?.
Union home minister P Chidambaram has already spoken to the CMs of Nagaland and Manipur to take necessary steps to have the blockade withdrawn. At the request of the government of Manipur, the MHA has decided to shortly deploy additional para-military forces on NH39 to remove the blockade and keep the highway open for unhindered movement of traffic and goods,? the PIB statement said.
The home ministry also said that while more than 1,000 trucks and tanks have reached Imphal via NH53 under escort of the state police since May 21, two consignments of life-saving drugs reached Imphal on May 18, 2010, and an additional consignment of life-saving drugs weighing 4 MT was airlifted by IAF aircraft on the same day. Moreover, 492.52 quintal of PDS rice was airlifted from FCI, Guwahati, by AN 32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force between May 17 and May 23, the statement said.
Essential commodities are also being transported to Manipur through NH150 with the assistance of the Mizoram government. Between May 16 and June 7, as many as 180 goods vehicles and 37 tankers reached Manipur through this route.