CM to meet Naga students in Delhi

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is likely to come here after August 15 to hold talks under Central supervision with Naga students w...

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is likely to come here after August 15 to hold talks under Central supervision with Naga students who have imposed an economic blockade on the Northeastern state since June 20.

This was decided at a meeting between representatives of the Manipur Government and Naga students yesterday. Union Home Secretary V K Duggal is likely to meet officials of the Manipur, Assam and Nagaland Governments before this to “work out a strategy to cope with the situation and to ensure continuous flow of essential commodities”.

Amid all this, the Home Ministry conveyed through Joint Secretary (North-East) Rajiv Agarwal today that it was willing to talk to the agitating students “if required”.

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The Ministry had earlier said the issue concerned two states and a political solution should be worked out by Nagaland and Manipur. Even though central intervention had been requested, the Ministry categorically said it was not keen to intervene.

Manipur has been cut from the rest of the country since the blockade began. The students have blocked NH-39, connecting Dimapur and Imphal, while NH-53, connecting Silchar and Imphal, is controlled by trouble-makers and insurgents belonging to Manipur and the NSCN (I-M). The Army made NH-53 operational on August 3.

But a continuing shortage of essential commodities has forced the Centre to air-lift supplies. Agarwal said Indian Airlines and the Air Force made three sorties to Imphal today. He added that around 1,000 trucks have ferried essential supplies to Manipur under police protection since the blockade was imposed. LPG and petrol are still scarce.

Agarwal said the Ministry has not received any reports of “human misery” caused by the shortage of supplies.

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