Turf war intensified among the Naga extremist outfits

From Our Special Correspondent

IMPHAL, June 23: The battle lines are drawn among the Naga underground organizations which have been operating in the hill districts of Manipur. Apart from bloody gun fights the turf war  intensified with three outfits pledging to drive out the NSCN(IM) from Zeliangrong areas.

The State government in general and the Home Minister G Gaikhangam, in particular are concerned over the imminent bloodshed in many parts of the State. For Gaikhangam it is a very delicate  issue since he is a Zeliangrong hailing from Tamenglong district. Ahead of the January 30 Assembly elections he faced threats from some armed groups. In fact most of his election offices were attacked and one elderly woman supporter was killed.

The Manipur government has been in constant touch with the Union Home Ministry to cope with the appalling situation since fireworks have already been started. On Wednesday night Haochong village where some cadres of the NSCN(K), the Naga National Council and the Zeliangrong United Front were bivouacking was attacked. The three outfits claim that it was engineered by the NSCN(IM) with the help of some local collaborators.

Three NSCN(K) cadres, two villagers including a woman and one NSCN(IM) were killed. In a statement the NSCN(K) cadre mentioned that in a revenge attack it had killed Athikho Mao, the town commander of the NSCN(IM) in Tamenglong on Thursday night. Police fear that there will be more retaliatory strikes from the NSCN(IM).

The Manipur government has replaced S Bralal, the Director  General of Police with Y Joykumar. The step was taken up at the directive of the Union Home Ministry. Joykumar who had been the DGP for a long time was removed on the eve of the Assembly elections since several political parties had lodged complaints against his alleged partiality.  Gaikhangam has also been moving around in a bid to revamp the police and paramilitary forces. Observers feel that this is intended to hone the battle preparedness of the State forces.

The press statement said that the NSCN(K), the Naga National Front and the Zeliangrong United Front have joined hands. It further claimed that 80 per cent of the people support this common group. However, with the help of some collaborators the NSCN(IM) men had stalked the cadres of these outfits through a secret road. It further claimed that one cadre of the NSCN(IM) was killed. But the body was carried away, it added.

From the Wednesday’s encounter and some other incidents it is clear that the State and the central forces were nowhere nearby during the fireworks. There has not been a single instance of rounding up of any gunmen. Should there be fresh violence the State will be caught napping.

Traffic experiments in Imphal city

From our Special Correspondent

IMPHAL, June 23: Mercifully from Saturday morning the authorities have condescended to allow all vehicles to pass through the Paona and Thangal markets. It is anybody’s guess when the capricious befuddled officials will impose another traffic rule. Some months ago a woman DSP in charge of traffic had banned entry of all vehicles including two wheelers in these two main markets. Her explanation was that such vehicles were causing traffic jams. The established government remained as a mute spectator when the DSP had imposed the regulation in this manner. But the spill over traffic had caused traffic congestions in the nearby roads and lanes. Besides all the shops and kiosks in these markets could not sell a single thing. A person cannot pay the parking fee, walk a long distance to buy a small article which is available in any of the shops in the periphery. It was not known what the government gained by depriving the businessmen of their works and profits. Since there is no people in the streets both the markets wore a deserted look. When there were scathing write ups in the local press the policy was staunchly supported and the government as a whole did not interfere. It was haughtily explained that it was done on an experimental basis. The people are not guinea pigs and at this age there is no scope for experiments in traffic regulations. The people had nobody to turn to despite the fact that they are suffering a lot.

It is clear that the businessmen had approached the Ministers to review the childish traffic policy. As a result, a decision was taken in the last cabinet meeting to scrap it. In normal circumstances it should have been taken by the government. But there was inordinate delay in implementing the decision. It was only after 4 PM that vehicles are allowed inside these markets. In Manipur there is nightfall by 5 PM and in view of the reprehensible law and order sensible persons do not venture out after dark. Though the parking fees inside the markets had been doubled the new policy gives a sigh of relief. The government has been spending a fortune in installing traffic signals here and there. However, these had to be decommissioned within a short time. The signals are located in close proximity. As a result there is traffic jam in all sides whenever there is red signal in a particular crossing. Obviously the government does not have any official with any practical idea on traffic and has not engaged anybody from other States. There are more than enough number of traffic constables. But only a few of them are seen regulating the traffic in the busy crossings. The rest are seen here and there pouncing on the drivers of vans, autorickshaw and truck drivers to extort something. In fact these constables have become terror incarnate to the drivers. Recently a newspaper published a front page picture showing a truck dashing against stone divider. The report said that the driver who had greased the palm of a constable was allowed to enter the market violating the one way traffic. There was not even a perfunctory clarification from the authority.

Some of the constables are seen deflating the tyres of the vehicles which are parked at wrong places. They are rather helping the private businessmen who are manning the parking lots. Any erring driver would be flagged down for deflating the tyres or whittling away some parts of the taxi. Once something is passed to the constables the parts are returned. The State exchequer is not benefitted in this round the clock transactions. Dozens of car drivers had been harassed since their tyres were deflated. Everyday the drivers anticipate new traffic regulations since the established government has been reduced to a world class joke in this manner.

100 trucks stranded at Bokajan

From our Correspondent
DIMAPUR, June 23: Around 100 goods-laden trucks have been stranded at Bokajan in neighbouring Karbi Anglong district, Assam, for the last couple of days due to alleged harassment by the Sales Tax department officials posted at Bokajan. Trucks coming from metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai carrying essential commodities and bound for Nagaland and Manipur were being detained at Bokajan gate by Sales Tax officials who are allegedly demanding the drivers to produce the Nagaland VAT form for vehicles entering Nagaland and Manipur VAT form for Manipur bound vehicles. According to the truckers, despite having all other necessary permits, the trucks were not allowed to pass without the VAT forms. A trucker said that it was not the duty of sales tax officials of a state to demand VAT forms of another state and added that truckers had never faced such situations while crossing other states. It is reported that trucks not having forms of their respective states were allowed to pass Bokajan check point only after payment of money ranging from Rs 3,000-10,000 per truck. Sources said that the general public of both Nagaland and Manipur states are facing shortage of essential commodities as the trucks do not reach their destination on time. Many perishable items also go waste due to unnecessary detention of vehicles, sources added.