Government calls meet as Naga blockade continues
16 Jun 2010
The chief secretaries of Nagaland and Manipur are to meet union home secretary G K Pillai today as some Nagas continued their economic blockade of Manipur even after a section of Naga students told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that they were calling it off.
Terming the blockade "a matter of serious concern", the central government called the chief secretaries of the two states for an emergency meeting in New Delhi.
Pillai will discuss with the bureaucrats steps to be taken to open National Highway 39, the economic lifeline of Manipur that has been blocked since 11 April.
The Naga Students Federation (NSF), the apex tribal students' group of Nagaland, had on Tuesday announced that it would suspend a more than two-month blockade of roads leading to Manipur.
The "temporary" withdrawal of the blockade was announced by after NSF leaders met the prime minister in New Delhi on Monday. But there's very little relief for the people as the movement of trucks carrying food and other essentials on the highway leading into Manipur is yet to start.
Some splinter Naga groups have said they will continue with the blockade to protest against Manipur's decision preventing Naga leader Thuingaleng Muivah from visiting his birthplace in Manipur.