State government has sent DIG Range-1, IK Muivah to hold talk with Nagaland counterpart to settle the present crisis along National High ways following the imposing of ban by Naga Students’ Federation (NSF). This was stated by deputy chief minister Gaikhangam, who is also in charge of Home while giving reply to the calling attention moved by two opposition MLAs.
In his clarification to the calling attention motion, Gaikhangam said that the home department is conducting an enquiry into the matter and those police personnel from the Mantripukhri post alleged of harassing the NSF volunteers have been removed.
“We have taken reports of the day from those police personnel and we have sent our representative DIG IK Muivah to Nagaland to collect their version so that the enquiry is not one sided”, said Gaikhangam.
Gaikhangam said that on that day security was alerted on all high ways as the state government has been informed about the visit of Nagaland Chief Minister and Mizoram Chief Minister at Ukhrul to attend Lui-Ngai-Ni festival on February 14 and 15. he said the three persons travelling in a four wheeler vehicle were stopped by a team of Manipur Police led by a sub inspector. They were asked to come down from the vehicle for body search. Two of them came down and allowed body search but the other person who was driving the vehicle didn’t come down and started arguing the reason for checking. He tried to call a person using a cell phone but the police team took the cell phone hand set and called for another police back up team. As there was a heated argument, the police team reported the matter to the SP Imphal West. Later the SP sent another team to assist the situation. The new police team then allow the three student to call using their hand set. Soon after they called a senior person came and took them.
The police team did not arrest them, harassed them or assaulted them, they were simply conducting their duty, he added.
Gaikhangam further calls on the NSF and its stakeholders to lift the ban saying that there is nothing as such communal to the government of Manipur.
“Hill people have been CM & CS of the state for quite a long time, Muslim had been the CM, the DGP is from Hills, the Deputy CM is from the Hills, How could the government be communal?”, Gaikhangam question.
Moving the calling attention motion today, MLA Th. Shyamkumar said that various trucks and passenger vehicles has been stranded at many places along NH-1 due to the ban of Manipur’s vehicles by Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in protest against the alleged detention and harassment of their volunteers on February 14.
“The incident was unfortunate , it could had been prevented had the security forces’ check point located from Mao to Imphal had co-ordinated”, Shyamkumar said.
On the other hand, the matter arises out of this is very serious. Several vehicles are now stranded at various places along the national highways, , Shyamkumar added.
BJP MLA Kh. Joykishan while expressing his apprehension to ignite another unwanted situation out of this. He said that the way the Nagaland based students’ body is imposing ban to only meitei vehicles in the naga areas had incited anger to many of the organisations.
Referring to news report appeared in today’s daily paper, Joykishan said that a student body of the state now started reacting and there is no guarantee that the matter went out of hand.
Joykishan said that the house need to take a resolution against such communal attitude of any organisation of the neighbouring state and render it to the Nagaland government.
