Millions of rupees being lost every day in blockade

Imphal: In the cricket loving country of India, it is a century of a different kind in its northeastern state of Manipur. Economic blockade on National Highways 39 and 53 — the sole lifelines to this landlocked state — reached a cumulative count of 109 days yesterday.

The initial blockade called by the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) on July 31 midnight demanding the creation of a Sadar Hills district, carving out areas from other existing districts, was suspended on its 92nd day on October 31 midnight following an understanding with the government.

However, a counter blockade called by the United Naga Council (UNC) against the creation of the district on August 21 last continues to this day.

The economic blockades have disrupted movement of supply trucks, many of which were torched in the last three months, despite the security provided by the government. As a result, supplies of essential commodities fell to a trickle, the pinch being mainly on medical supplies and petroleum products such as LPG, petrol, kerosene and diesel. Pulses, wheat products and lower quality rice, known locally as superfine, are also usually brought in from outside the state.

While rice and vegetables are still available in the local markets as the state is mainly an agrarian state, it has been a domino effect regarding the price and the buying capability of the nearly 2.7 million people living in Manipur. The unemployment rate is high and the state is the major source of employment.

Not much profit

"The wedding season, which is usually our best sale period, has started but I am unable to stock up my shop with the items such as mattresses, filters, generators, electric rice cookers and other dowry items. I will not be able to make much profit if this blockade continues," says 39-year-old S. Manglem, who deals in household products bought in from Myanmar through NH 39.

His sister Ibecha, who teaches in a government school, has not received her salary for the past two months, a common occurrence in the state which depends mainly on central funds. "Though food is there, cooking it has become a headache. Since LPG is not available, and both kerosene and firewood are highly priced, I have been using charcoal chulha (stove) and electric rice cookers. I have also stopped taking my two-wheeler to school and use the local autorickshaws instead," she says.

According to Dr Kh Palin, managing director of Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI), a premier private hospital, oxygen cylinders are costlier by 200-300 per cent since the start of the blockade on July 31.

"There are no medical gas plants in Manipur and the local dealers procure it from Assam. An oxygen cylinder that normally costs around Rs310 (Dh22.1) is now priced between Rs1,000-Rs2,000," he points out.

According to State's Economics and Statistics Department officials, around Rs20.32 million is lost daily due to the economic blockade.