Blockade over,but no end to Manipurs woes

Laurenbam Bina,mother of two and a vegetable vendor earlier,now sells petrol and that too near a petrol pump just opposite the Indian Oil Corporation

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Laurenbam Bina,mother of two and a vegetable vendor earlier,now sells petrol and that too near a petrol pump just opposite the Indian Oil Corporation depot on the outskirts of Manipurs capital Imphal. She sells it at Rs 90 per litre,but wont disclose from where she has procured it.

Ten days after the Naga economic blockade against Manipur officially ended,the states woes are far from over. Petroleum products are still scarce,as are most essential items,with whatever little trickling in being sold at exhorbitant prices. The blockade that began on April 11 had lasted more than 60 days.

Bus services between Imphal and Guwahati,Shillong and other places have remained suspended since the blockade began. Now people are compelled to either pay through their nose to catch a flight,or stay put in Imphal, said A Buddha Luwang,president,All Manipur Inter-State Bus Association.

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Transporters still dont ply on NH-39,Manipurs shortest link to the outside world,more specifically to the nearest station at Dimapur (Nagaland). That station is 125 km from the inter-state border,a distance too perilous,say transporters.

There is no guarantee of security on NH-39. We are already under pressure of increased extortion from the NSCN (IM),especially in the Nagaland portion of the highway, said N Haridas Singh,general secretary,Transporters and Drivers Council of Manipur. Even in pre-blockade days we were subjected to heavy taxes imposed by them. Several of our drivers have been killed. There is no provision of compensation for losses, he added. The only trucks that make the journey bear Assam or Nagaland registration numbers.

Singh said trucks carrying goods to Manipur from the Dimapur station have to pay at least two types of taxes to the NSCN (IM). We are bound to pay Rs 8,000 per vehicle per annum. Trucks carrying certain specific items like onions,steel,medicine and edible oil have to pay on per trip basis too. We will think about plying on NH-39 only after the government guarantees security and an assurance that we dont have to pay illegal taxes, M Tomba Singh,general secretary,Manipur Drivers Welfare Association,said.

With the Manipur government providing some security on NH-53,a circuitious route via Barak Valley in southern Assam and Meghalaya,transporters are beginning to bring in 30 to 40 truckloads of items from there.

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However,thats nothing compared to pre-blockade days,when between 300 to 400 trucks used to bring essential commodities via NH-39. Few buses have begun plying to Guwahati and Shillong via Jiribam and Silchar. But the fare on this route is Rs 200 more than via NH-39.