Imphal: Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday appealed to the agitating Nagas, who are blocking two National
Highways passing through Manipur, to withdraw their strike and
come forward for dialogue.
Addressing a meeting, Chidambaram requested the Naga
community to forget the past and come to the negotiating table
to discuss their problems in an atmosphere of mutual trust for
better future as blockade of highways would not help anyone.
He inaugurated a mini-secretariat at the Senapati
district headquarters town and appealed to the people to
settle all issues through dialogue.
He also visited Naga-dominated Ukhrul district bordering
Myanmar where he inaugurated a sub-divisional office, a
school building and an electricity office, official reports
said.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the United Naga Council said
the economic blockade on NH-39 and NH-53, which has been going
on since August 21 hitting supply of essential commodities,
would continue and called a three-day bandh in the state from
midnight tomorrow to protest the government`s assurance of
turning the Sadar Hills area in Senapati into a separate
district.
The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee had withdrawn
its 92-day economic blockade on the two national highways on
the midnight of October 31 following assurance by the state
government that their demand for conversion of Sadar hills
area in Senapati district into a district would be looked
into.
PTI
