Manipur is not new to the politics of blockade. If politics is considered a dirty calling by quite a large number of people, nothing can be dirtier and more dangerous than this brand of politics. Manipur has seen enough blockade to understand how dangerous it can be. The present economic blockade imposed by the United Naga Council is not an exception and the seeds of divide that this has spawned can be understood in the context of how this has given birth to what is called the counter blockade and how it has gone from targeting goods laden trucks on the National Highways to personal belongings of passengers, best exemplified by what happened on the Imphal-Ukhrul road at Khurai on December 18 and the destruction spree at Khumbong. Something which all those who stand against the idea of Manipur as a social and political entity may want and this is something which no one should forget. The politics that is being played out has now moved from the National Highways with the State Government and the Union Government seemingly at logger heads with one another, a point which is best exemplified by the strongly worded letter written by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Chief Minister O Ibobi a few days back. Law and order is a State subject and it is the duty of the State Government to ensure that the basic amenities reach the people of Manipur, is the line that has been maintained by the Centre. The Union Home Minister topped this off with the claim that the Centre has made available enough Central forces to assist the local forces to keep NH-2 open.
Read more / Original news source: http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/politics-of-economic-blockade-dangerous-and-dirty-politics/