Manipur Cabinet Takes No Decision On New District

By Iboyaima Laithangbam

Imphal, Aug 7 : The Manipur Cabinet which met on Friday night failed to take a decision on the formation of the Sadar Hills district.

The All Naga Students' Association Manipur (Ansam) has warned that if the government went ahead with the new district, to be carved out of Senapati district, ignoring the two memoranda it signed with the Ansam and the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) it would not remain silent.

When the Sadar district agitation intensified, the Ansam and the NSF launched their own campaigns saying that land of the Nagas should not be touched.

MoUs signed

Two Chief Ministers, Rishang Keishing and W. Nipamacha, had signed MoUs in this regard.

Official sources said that if any concrete steps towards formation of the new district were taken there would be retaliation from the two Naga students' bodies.

As the Nagas and the Kukis reside side by side it is impossible to carve out the Sadar district excluding the Naga villages and land.

Talking to journalists Ngamkhohao Haokip, president of the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee said the agitation would be withdrawn only when the new district was formed.

The Kuki Stuents' Organisation and others have said the demand should be conceded. They are threatening to impose an economic blockade on NH 39 in Chandel district.

Buildings torched

At least five government office buildings were torched in Sadar Hills on Friday night. Two tribal youths were wounded when the Manipur Rifles troopers opened fire on them.

Meanwhile, the government has made arrangements to bring stranded bus passengers to Imphal through an undisclosed road. Reports say that most of the passengers had elected to walk from the Senapati market to Imphal, a distance of over 70 km. There is no movement of vehicles on the national highway.