The NCHISF has been demanding immediate bifurcation of N. C. Hills into two Autonomous District with separate Autonomous Council. The Government has also constituted a task force to deal with them. Last 21st January was fixed for talk in-between task force and the IPF and NCHISF but it was deferred by January 28th. Now both the organizations are demanding immediate solution to their demand.
“Assuming (ourselves) as a citizen of Manipur, the COPTAM is demanding appropriate solution to our demands but if the State government is adamant for honourable solution, we shall presume that tribals are ‘outer’ Manipur not only in Parliamentary Constituency but also in settlement and development”, said a press release of the committee, in an attempt to verbalize their sentiment.
Media, medical and schools will be relaxed from the purview of the bandh that will begin from 5 pm of December 7 and conclude at 5 am of December 10.
Appealing all sections of the society to extend all possible means of cooperation, CoPTAM said that students must be in school uniform and carry identity cards if they are to go by vehicles while private vehicles will be relaxed on medical ground only if the patient is inside the vehicle.
Meanwhile, in view of the Orange Festival slated for December 12 and 13 at Tamenglong district headquarters, Zeliangrong Youth Front has urged COPTAM to call off or defer its 60-hour hill district bandh in the interest of the people of the State.
Apart from Chief Minister, Ministers, VVIPs and other dignitaries, the festival will be attended by people from different districts, said a press release.
~ TSE
According to the joint statement of the students organisations, conveyed their appreciations and gratitudes to those who encountered hardships and inconveniences caused during the bandh.
Sharing the inconvenience of the general public the organization,on humanitarian ground resolved to relax the bandh form September 17 til l 24 September this month for free movement of vehicles plying in between moreh and imphal, especially for the stranded passengers / vehicles etc. the joint statement added.
However if the government does not come forward to any solution, the organization has a firm stance with turning back by imposing an indefinite bandh in its strongest term by boycotting all government , firms establishments and vehicle of which the government shall bear the responsibility for any outcome of the agitation the joint statement added.
~ Hueiyen Lanpao
Police said trucks and other vehicles have started moving without security escorts after the lifting of the economic blockade by the United Naga Council (UNC) temporarily effective from Sunday. More than 80 freight trucks left Mao Gate for Imphal today.
A number of empty trucks and inter-state buses also crossed Mao Gate to their respective destinations such as Dimapur, Guwahati and other places outside the state.
However, the Transporters and Drivers Council (TDC) was yet to lift the restrictions imposed on plying state vehicles along NH-39 demanding compensation to the trucks damaged in Nagaland during the NSF ban.
“We are not lifting restrictions on freight trucks, oil tankers, gas bullet tankers and others should immediately stop using the route in ferrying goods,” a TDC statement warned adding that they wanted peace and not violence.
The TDC cautioned that it might be compelled to resort to violent activities if the vehicles continued to travel on the route.
TDC said it would not hold responsibility for any untoward incident that might arise out of failure to adhere to its restrictions.
~ Nagaland Post
Lamka, Sep 16: The 48 hours bandh called by COPTAM on the first day was total here, as volunteers burnt used tyres on many of the important road cro-ssings within the town-ship amidst tight security set up at all sensitive locations where public outrage have been reported earlier.
Except for the occasional movement of security personnel and bandh volunteers in vehicles, and kids frolicking along the streets, the district headquarters wore a deserted look even in the remote villages.
Reiterating their demand, COPTAM leaders told media persons their intention to intensify the bandh tomorrow.
‘This (the bandh) is just the beginning of our agitation and if anyone takes our agitation for granted they will see the true impact of our angst tomorrow as we intensify the bandh,’ they said.
Sources said a handful of motor keys were confiscated by the volunteers while they also damaged a couple of two wheelers in and around the town.
Passenger buses and taxis plying outside the state capital suspended their service. Business establishments and ducational institutions in some districts were affected due to the bandh. The bandh started since Wednesday midnight. However, no untoward incidents were reported.
The COPTAM has been demanding the restoration of original hill district boundaries, transfering of Land Records of the hill districts to the recently formed Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) and devolution of adequate powers to ADCs.
Meanwhile, the Tangkhul Co-ordination Committee (TCC) had said yesterday that it would not support the COPTAM bandh. TCC said it would go by the directives of the United Naga Council (UNC) which had declared the severance of poltical ties with Manipur government saying the ADCs and the Naga organisations have nothing to do.
~ The Sangai Express
