The politics of shutdown and blockade Shutdown came first
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The politics of blockade and Manipur has seen it all and experienced it. And in any blockade, it has always been the valley area, particularly Imphal, which has been at the receiving end. As a newspaper which has seen it all, The Sangai Express understands how this politics can also be a double edged sword. Double edged in the sense that this same politics can come back and haunt a people whose penchant for using the roads that pass through their settlements as a bargaining tool. A look back at the recent past may just be in line to drive home the point that is sought to be made here. As news of the dastardly assassination of the three Thadou Church leaders while on their way back from Chura-chandpur to Kangpokpi on May 13 spread, conspiracy theories spread fast. It was these conspiracy theories that led to the abduction spree, starting with the whisking away of 18 Naga folks from Leilon Vaiphei village, with the women and a child released a few days later, while the mutilated bodies of the remaining six Naga men were discovered on June 10. Abducted on May 13 and mutilated bodies found on June 10. In between was the rounding up of 14 Kuki men in retaliation and while the Kuki men were released, safe and sound, the mutilated bodies of the six Naga men were found. In the interregnum, fingers of accusation were pointed at the NSCN (IM) and the Kamson group of the ZUF for the assassination of the three Thadou Church leaders and it was in line with sticking to the victim narrative that the Kuki Inpi, Manipur went ahead and announced a total shutdown in Kuki inhabited areas. The objective of such a shutdown was clear to anyone in Manipur-it was not against the murder per se but to let the others, particularly the Nagas and the Meiteis feel the pinch by weaponising the Imphal-Dimapur highway that passes through Kangpokpi. After a series of verbal duel, the United Naga Council went ahead and announced an inter-district blockade. A move ostensibly taken up against the shutdown in Kuki dominated areas. Not long after these developments, Kuki Inpi, Manipur decided to roll back its shutdown call following the safe release of the 14 Kuki men, but there was no indication that the UNC and other Naga bodies would reciprocate, and understandably so, given the fact that the six Naga men were found mutilated while the 14 Kuki men were released unharmed. Now it is the people of Kangpokpi which have gone to town narrating their tale of shortage of essential commodities, with even a TV interview wherein a Kuki man can be heard telling how the prices of essential commodities including petrol and cooking gas has hit the roof ! And this is where the victim card is sought to be played, conveniently overlooking the fact that a total shutdown was first called by KIM in all Kuki dominated areas and the inter-district blockade only followed later.
In the hostage drama case, KIM is known to have put its foot in the mouth more than once. Before the inter-district blockade by the UNC began to take a toll on the people, it first announced with all the authority at its disposal that all the Naga people abducted at Leilon Vaiphei village have been freed and they do not know anything on the whereabouts of the six missing Naga men. It was a sort of calling out the lies of KIM that leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council went ahead and announced in front of the camera that the six Naga men were indeed slaughtered by the Kukis out of ‘emotion’ ! A story which everyone knows. And now after triggering the blockade with its shutdown call, one wonder what tale KIM would cook up, as some sort of a damage control exercise or will it also ape the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) in laying down an ultimatum to the Government to make essential commodities available to the people ? Only the high browed leaders of KIM can answer this, but as things stand right now, the Government has been sounded to make life easier for the people of Kangpokpi district by ensuring the availability of all essential commodities. Demands may be directed towards the Government and protest can be staged against any policy and programme of the Government but was the shutdown in Kuki areas a protest against the Government or people who they wanted to target ? No answer is expected but this question stands.
In the hostage drama case, KIM is known to have put its foot in the mouth more than once. Before the inter-district blockade by the UNC began to take a toll on the people, it first announced with all the authority at its disposal that all the Naga people abducted at Leilon Vaiphei village have been freed and they do not know anything on the whereabouts of the six missing Naga men. It was a sort of calling out the lies of KIM that leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council went ahead and announced in front of the camera that the six Naga men were indeed slaughtered by the Kukis out of ‘emotion’ ! A story which everyone knows. And now after triggering the blockade with its shutdown call, one wonder what tale KIM would cook up, as some sort of a damage control exercise or will it also ape the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) in laying down an ultimatum to the Government to make essential commodities available to the people ? Only the high browed leaders of KIM can answer this, but as things stand right now, the Government has been sounded to make life easier for the people of Kangpokpi district by ensuring the availability of all essential commodities. Demands may be directed towards the Government and protest can be staged against any policy and programme of the Government but was the shutdown in Kuki areas a protest against the Government or people who they wanted to target ? No answer is expected but this question stands.