- Cong panels’ bid to defuse crisis
Imphal, May 26: In a goodwill gesture, the Nagaland and Manipur PCCs today agreed to work together to facilitate a dialogue between civil society groups, including the Church, of the two states to defuse the crisis arising out of the economic blockade.
PCC leaders also agreed to send a joint party delegation to New Delhi to seek the Centre’s intervention in the crisis. However, no timeframe was worked out for sending the team to New Delhi.
A six-member delegation of the Nagaland PCC, led by party president I. Imkong Ao, arrived in Imphal shortly before noon today from Kohima to discuss the prevailing situation in both the states with its Manipur counterpart.
Tokheho Sema, leader of the Opposition in the Nagaland Assembly, MLA Joshua Sema, general secretaries Yamkhithang Lotha and Medokul Angami and MLA Taric Zeliang accompanied Ao. Escorted by Nagaland police along the Imphal-Kohima road, they arrived here through Senapati district.
A Manipur police team also escorted the eight-vehicle convoy from and to Mao Gate.
The Nagaland PCC delegation returned to Kohima in the afternoon after meeting chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh at the chief minister’s office and Manipur PCC president Gaikhangam at Congress Bhavan here.
“We came here on a goodwill mission to express our concern over the prevailing situation in both the states. Today’s meeting with the chief minister and Manipur PCC chief were very fruitful,” Imkong told reporters after the meeting with Gaikhangam.
Welcoming the Nagaland delegation, Gaikhangam said the visit was a “good opening”.
The Manipur PCC chief said the committees in both the states would work for people-to-people contact to work out an amicable solution to the ongoing blockade along two prime supply routes as well as the ban on Manipur vehicles in Nagaland. The blockade was intensified after NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah’s bid to visit Manipur was foiled by the Ibobi Singh government.
The All Naga Students Association, Manipur, had called the indefinite blockade along Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam highways since April 11 while the ban on Manipur vehicles in Nagaland was imposed by the Nagaland Students Federation.
“We agreed to send a joint delegation to New Delhi to seek the Centre’s intervention. But we have not fixed any date for the delegation. Leaders of the two parties would continue to keep in touch,” Gaikhangam said.
The Manipur PCC chief said during the meeting, possibilities of arranging bus services from Kohima to Mao Gate by the Nagaland government and Imphal to Mao Gate by the Manipur government, were discussed.
The PCCs of the two states also appealed to the Manipuri community living in Nagaland and the Naga community in Manipur to stay calm.
