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 on Monday 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, it is learnt, had a rather emotional conversation with members of the Nagaland Students? Federation (NSF) delegation which met him today. Singh is said to have told the Naga leaders that they were like his ?own children?, that the country belonged to all and ?brothers should not fight?.
After their 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 (MHA).
?We have decided to send Central forces to remove the blockade,? said Union home secretary GK Pillai. While 16 companies will be sent to Manipur, another six will be dispatched to Nagaland, officials said. Both highways have been blocked by different Naga groups since April 12 in protest against the Manipur government?s decision of not allowing NSCN leader Thuingaleng Muivah to 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.