IMPHAL, Nov 19 MNS NNN UNA : The Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) will meet the state government of Manipur on Tuesday.
The KSDC has received a formal invitation from the government of Manipur at 2 pm today. One hour after receiving the invitation, the executive meeting of the KSDC was held and resolved that the KSDC will send its representatives for the meeting with the state government on Tuesday. “As of now the blockade will continue and only after the meeting with the state government tomorrow, we will take a decision whether the agitation should continue or not,” informed George Guite.
Earlier in the morning, Manipur deputy chief minister Gaikhangam said that Manipur Government would invite the protesting Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) to the negotiating table for talk on Tuesday afternoon, while urging the committee to withdraw the indefinite public blockade being enforced by it along the two National Highways in the state including the Kuki-inhabited areas.
The agitating KSDC has imposed an indefinite public blockade in all the Kuki-dominated areas including the two National Highways linking the state since the evening of November 17 demanding the Government to set the stage to begin peace talks with the Kuki National Front (KNF) and United People’s Front (UPF) at the earliest and also in demand ‘for a separate Kuki state to be carved out of Kuki traditional lands incorporated within the present day Manipur’.
The KNO and UPF are the two umbrella organizations of Kuki militant outfits operating in the state.
“The agitation being called by KSDC indicates its frustration over the long-standing political problem of the Kuki militant groups which are under Suspension of Operation (SoO) for about eight years. However, the state Government at its level best has also been pressing the Central Government to start peace parleys with them,” Gaikhangam told reporters after attending Kwami Ekta National Integration Day held at Congress Bhawan this morning.
Gaikhangam said the state Government will invite KSDC for talk on Tuesday at 3:30 pm.
Referring to the recent meeting between him and Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in New Delhi on the proposed political dialogue involving the KNO, UPF and the Government of India, he said Manipur Government had urged Shinde to start peace process with the Kuki militant outfits.
The Union Home minister in response to the proposal had assured that the peace talks would be definitely started after the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament, the deputy chief minister further recounted. The Parliament Session is scheduled to commence from November 22.
After the Parliament Session, a team from MHA) will visit Imphal to chalk out modalities for the dialogue process, Gaikhangam announced and pleaded KSDC to call off the ongoing public blockade in the interest of the public admitting that all the ethnic communities in the state are bearing the same brunt to the same degree.
In a media query on the closure of oil pumps in the state following the blockade by KSDC, Gaikhangam said such thing often involves businessmen but the matter would be appropriately informed to the concerned minister.
In another query by the media, the deputy chief minister made it clear that the onus for implementation of Inner Line Permit system in Manipur lies with the Central Government but he asked the Joint Committee on ILP to dispatch a joint reminder to the Government on the issue.
More than 100 trucks remained standed at Senapati Head quarter .
The goods were for ‘Tourism Festival’ but not a single security person was in sight.
However, 11 inter-state buses and eight taxi service winger vehicles today crossed Kangpokpi area with heavy escort by police and state security force and arrived at Imphal.
CAFPD minister Moirangthem Okendro said that there was enough stock of petroleum products.
Regarding most of oil pumps remaining closed with stock nil bills at the counters, he expressed doubt that some vested interest persons were trying to convey wrong message that state government has failed to deal with the situation or authorities of oil pumps sold out the fuels at the backdoor.
He had conducted a check personally at the oil depots and found records of distributing fuels to the retail outlets at normal rates, he said, adding that government was ready to face all eventualities if the blockade continues longer. “We have already prepared to ensure regular supply of fuels to the public. We have enough security force to escort vehicles on the national highways if disturbance is given to the normal ferry of essential goods for the state,” he said.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ksdc-members-to-meet-governor-today/
