Newmai News Network Imphal | November 25 United Naga Council (UNC) President Gaidon Kamei and Publicity Secretary Sankhui Stephen were arrested by police on Friday even as the indefinite economic blockade along highways connecting Manipur called by the Naga body entered its 25th day. The arrest however has not gone down well and a 24-hour total shutdown in the Naga-dominated areas of Manipur has been called in protest. The shutdown kicked off from 4:30 pm and will continue till 4:30 pm tomorrow, Saturday. The UNC along with its former leaders and civil society organisations held an emergency meeting today at Senapati on learning the arrest of its president. Further course of action will be decided on Saturday. Tamenglong, Chandel, Ukhrul and Senapati towns looked deserted following the lightning bandh called by the UNC. According to reports, Gaidon Kamei and Sankhui Stephen were travelling together in a Bolero jeep when a team of police commandos from Imphal West arrested them at Pheidinga along Imphal-Dimapur highway around 11:30 am. The UNC president Gaidon, 52, a resident of Noney Part-1 in Tamenglong district is presently staying at Namdulong, Imphal. Gaidon and Stephen have been taken into custody of Imphal Police Station. The Publicity Secretary of the council, Stephen, 36, is a resident of Komsen village in Chandel district. The All Naga Students’ Association Manipur (ANSAM), meanwhile, threatened to take up an intense stir if the detained UNC leaders are not released unconditionally. Wasting no time, ANSAM called a press meet at their office located at Deulahland in Imphal following the arrest of the UNC leaders. ANSAM president Seth Shatshang warned that the state government would be held responsible for any eventuality. Shatshang expressed regret that the state government has failed to keep its commitment given to Naga civil society organisations while preparing for the district creation plan. He said the government promised to take into board all stakeholders in the process, which has been denied. He also blamed the government for the current standoff. “There’ll be more bandh and blockades as long as the government fails to take positive steps. The government should make effort to bring UNC to the negotiating table to end to the stir,” the ANSAM leader maintained. Also strongly condemning the arrest of the UNC president, Naga Political Leaders’ Forum Manipur (NPLFM) ridiculed the act saying that the government "instead of initiating for dialogue” has acted otherwise. The NPLFM then blamed the state government for the prevailing situation in the state. It also expressed its resentment saying Naga leaders seeking to meet the arrested UNC president were denied the permission.
