The decision, taken in a meeting at the Sadar Hills headquarters of Kangpokpi today, came after about 200 district supporters burnt barracks of a police outpost at Kalapahar in Sadar Hills yesterday. The outpost was manned by 30 personnel of the village defence force when the arsonists set two police barracks on fire. The decision was taken after the demand committee conducted four rounds of public meetings, which concluded yesterday.
The statement said the first phase of the economic blockade and general strike ended on August 31 and the committee decided to extend it indefinitely. It said the committee did not accept the panel constituted by the Okram Ibobi Singh government to look into the boundary issues of the proposed district.
The statement slammed the government for its “indifferent” attitude to the “legitimate” demand of the people of Sadar Hills.
The committee demanded that Sadar Hills district should be created within a week under the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971 and said it would not accept a district created under any other law or legislation.
It also said the committee would not accept the new boundary of Sadar Hills.
The demand committee had launched its agitation at midnight on July 31, blocking all kinds of vehicular movement including trucks carrying essential items along Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam highways.
The demand committee’s stand against change of boundaries will complicate things for the Ibobi Singh government. Successive governments have not been able to create Sadar Hills district because of the boundary dispute.
The United Naga Council imposed an indefinite blockade along the state’s supply lines from August 21 to protest any division of Naga areas while creating Sadar Hills district. It said the Nagas’ land should not be divided without their consent and knowledge.
Last month, the government had constituted an official-level committee, headed by chief secretary D.S. Poonia, to look into the boundary issue.
The chief minister is now on a foreign tour.