Imphal | August 13 : Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh said it is risky to take a hasty decision over the Sadar Hills issue. However, Autonomous District Council (ADC) chairman of Sadar Hills SH Seipu said, “Justice delayed, is justice denied."
Amidst the limbo over the demand by Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) for a full fledged district continuing for the 12th day today, eluding resolution, a delegation of the demand committee and members of Sadar Hills ADC called on Governor Gurbachan Jagat this afternoon.
The delegation of SHDDC advisors and ADC members met the governor at around 3:45 pm today to apprise him of their demand and presented a “convincing case” for the immediate declaration of Sadar Hills district without any further delay. The governor has reportedly assured the delegation that he shall advice the chief minster to bring about a resolution to the impasse.
“The governor has assured us that he will meet the chief minister in a couple of days and advise him to resolve the Sadar Hills issue without any further delay,” Seipu told a press conference after meeting the governor.
The governor also appealed to the visiting mediators to abjure violence and seek peaceful means of settling the decades-long imbroglio.
Seipu said that if the state government could issue a time bound and written assurance that Sadar Hills would be declared a district, he could pursue the demand committee (SHDDC) to suspend the ongoing agitation.
He also warned civil society organizations from other districts against meddling and interfering into the affairs of Sadar Hills. He said the issue, which has the potential of being ethicized by vested interest mongers, should be left to the affected people to deal with.
“We are all Christian and tribals, let us not create problem for each other,” he said while appealing to all the communities to exert restraint. Some sections of the society are needlessly trying to “particularize” the issue, he added.
The ADC chairman will leave for Delhi tomorrow to seek appointment with the prime minister besides calling on the home minister and Congress president to apprise them of the demand for Sadar Hills district. The three MLAs of Sadar Hills and members of ADC will likely join the chairman on August 14 at Delhi.
While in Delhi, the visiting team is expected to have a consultative meeting with students from Sadar Hills. They also proposed to stage a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the chief minister has appealed to members of Sadar Hills ADC to withdraw their decision to resign in their support for the creation of Sadar Hills district.
Speaking to the media at the Congress Bhawan in Imphal,chief ,minister Ibobi said that Sadar Hills district demand is a sensitive issue therefore the government cannot take a hasty decision without consulting senior citizens and experts on the issue.
The chief minister also said that the government is fully prepared to bring in goods laden trucks through National Highway 53 as the trucks find it difficult to negotiate the single lane Kohima-Jessami-Ukhrul road.
Significantly, the state government, a few days ago, issued a stern ultimatum to SHDDC to lift blockade imposed on both the highways before August 15 or face a merciless crackdown by security forces. The no-nonsense Ibobi led government has time and again been giving out messages that it will not be cowed down by agitators trying to have their way without regards to public goods.
It is worth noting that the economic blockade that was imposed by SHDDC beginning midnight of July tentatively for seven days quickly turned into an indefinite general strike across Sadar Hills, barely two days after the blockade began, following the death of three women in a blockade related incident.
Amidst the limbo over the demand by Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) for a full fledged district continuing for the 12th day today, eluding resolution, a delegation of the demand committee and members of Sadar Hills ADC called on Governor Gurbachan Jagat this afternoon.
The delegation of SHDDC advisors and ADC members met the governor at around 3:45 pm today to apprise him of their demand and presented a “convincing case” for the immediate declaration of Sadar Hills district without any further delay. The governor has reportedly assured the delegation that he shall advice the chief minster to bring about a resolution to the impasse.
“The governor has assured us that he will meet the chief minister in a couple of days and advise him to resolve the Sadar Hills issue without any further delay,” Seipu told a press conference after meeting the governor.
The governor also appealed to the visiting mediators to abjure violence and seek peaceful means of settling the decades-long imbroglio.
Seipu said that if the state government could issue a time bound and written assurance that Sadar Hills would be declared a district, he could pursue the demand committee (SHDDC) to suspend the ongoing agitation.
He also warned civil society organizations from other districts against meddling and interfering into the affairs of Sadar Hills. He said the issue, which has the potential of being ethicized by vested interest mongers, should be left to the affected people to deal with.
“We are all Christian and tribals, let us not create problem for each other,” he said while appealing to all the communities to exert restraint. Some sections of the society are needlessly trying to “particularize” the issue, he added.
The ADC chairman will leave for Delhi tomorrow to seek appointment with the prime minister besides calling on the home minister and Congress president to apprise them of the demand for Sadar Hills district. The three MLAs of Sadar Hills and members of ADC will likely join the chairman on August 14 at Delhi.
While in Delhi, the visiting team is expected to have a consultative meeting with students from Sadar Hills. They also proposed to stage a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the chief minister has appealed to members of Sadar Hills ADC to withdraw their decision to resign in their support for the creation of Sadar Hills district.
Speaking to the media at the Congress Bhawan in Imphal,chief ,minister Ibobi said that Sadar Hills district demand is a sensitive issue therefore the government cannot take a hasty decision without consulting senior citizens and experts on the issue.
The chief minister also said that the government is fully prepared to bring in goods laden trucks through National Highway 53 as the trucks find it difficult to negotiate the single lane Kohima-Jessami-Ukhrul road.
Significantly, the state government, a few days ago, issued a stern ultimatum to SHDDC to lift blockade imposed on both the highways before August 15 or face a merciless crackdown by security forces. The no-nonsense Ibobi led government has time and again been giving out messages that it will not be cowed down by agitators trying to have their way without regards to public goods.
It is worth noting that the economic blockade that was imposed by SHDDC beginning midnight of July tentatively for seven days quickly turned into an indefinite general strike across Sadar Hills, barely two days after the blockade began, following the death of three women in a blockade related incident.
