In the wake of the road blockade called by a Naga group in Manipur, the Home Ministry on Thursday rushed additional forces to assist the local administration and a top official to assess the arising situation there.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also had a discussion with Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang about the economic blockade called by the United Naga Council in national and state highways connecting Manipur from on Thursday.
The additional paramilitary forces were sent to Manipur to be deployed along the national and state highways to ensure smooth flow of traffic and essential commodities and maintain law and order.
Following a directive of the Home Minister, Special Secretary (Internal Secretary) in the Home Ministry Prakash Mishra is also rushing to Manipur. Zeliang said Singh asked him to ensure that normal traffic ply over the highways, passing through Nagaland, connecting Manipur.
"I have told the Home Minister that nothing will happen in Nagaland. There is no problem, no blockade in Nagaland," he told reporters here after meeting Singh.
Singh assured all central assistance to Nagaland in ensuring peace in the area. The Home Ministry has issued an advisory to the Manipur government to take all preventive measures to ensure that highways are kept free, national projects are not disrupted and law and order maintained.
Singh had reviewed the situation with outgoing Governor VK Duggal and Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Wednesday and discussed preventive measures to alleviate hardship to the people of Manipur.
The government has called upon the Naga organisations to withdraw the economic blockade call and the ban on national projects, which will cause serious inconvenience and hardship to the common people.
The government has recently appointed RN Ravi as the interlocutor for Naga peace talks with the mandate to find a negotiated solution in a time-bound manner.
However, it is imperative that a conducive atmosphere exists for these talks to take place, an official release said.
The UNC blockade, if it goes ahead, is likely to hit the supply of essential commodities to the state as the ban will prevent trucks from making their way to Manipur's capital, Imphal.
UNC called for the blockade after two people were killed in Ukhrul district, nearly 85 km from Imphal, when police allegedly opened fire on protesters.
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