INDIA’S NAGA GROUPS SUSPEND A TWO-MONTH-LONG BLOCKADE

NATURAL WITH ENGLISH SPEECH

DURATION: 1.45

SOURCE: ANI

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS: NO ACCESS BBC

India’s Naga groups suspend a two-month-long blockade.

Naga groups suspend a two-month-long blockade of a vital highway that has caused food and fuel shortages in the troubled India’s northeastern state of Manipur.

SHOWS:

NEW DELHI, INDIA (JUNE 14, 2010) (ANI- NO ACCESS BBC)

1. LEADERS OF NAGA STUDENTS’ FEDERATION (NSF) AT A NEWS CONFERENCE

2. REPORTERS SITTING

3. A REPORTER WRITING

4. NSF LEADERS ADDRESSING

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KELHOUNEIZO YHOME, LEADER OF NAGA STUDENTS FEDERATION, SAYING: “We told them to address the issue in right perspective. The Prime minister, the Home (interior) Minister was appealing to us again and again please consider your decision to continue with blockade. We have only assured him that we will take seriously his appeal and we will consider whatever we could after consulting our friends in Kohima.”

6. REPORTERS SITTING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KELHOUNEIZO YHOME, LEADER OF NAGA STUDENTS FEDERATION, SAYING: “The demands are very clear, - the Manipur commandoes and Manipur Rifles and other state forces should be immediately withdrawn back to valley from the Naga speaking areas because they have blocked all the roads leading to Naga areas by these Manipur commandoes and Manipur Rifles. They have been imposing curfew, they used to relax only for one-two hours during daytime and again re-impose the curfew. So this need be to immediately withdrawn and arrest warrants have been issued against some of our student leaders and civil society leaders by the Manipur government, that should be withdrawn.”

8. NSF LEADERS INTERACTING WITH REPORTERS

STORY: Naga groups on Monday (June 14) suspended a two-month-long blockade of a vital highway that has caused food and fuel shortages in the troubled India’s northeastern state of Manipur.

The Naga Students Federation (NSF), one of the main groups behind the blockade, announced this after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on the same day the government said it would send troops to end the standoff.

“The blockade has been temporarily suspended from 6 p.m. (1230 GMT) of June 15,” said a statement, which was supported by almost all groups enforcing the blockade.

The NSF leaders said they had decided to suspend the blockade after Prime Minister Singh agreed to look into their grievances.

“We told them to address the issue in right perspective. The Prime minister, the Home (interior) Minister was appealing to us again and again please consider your decision to continue with blockade. We have only assured him that we will take seriously his appeal and we will consider whatever we could after consulting our friends in Kohima,” said Kelhouneizo Yhome, an NSF leader.

The NSF sought the withdrawal of forces from Naga speaking areas of Manipur, lifting of curfew and withdrawal of arrest warrants.

“The demands are very clear, - the Manipur commandoes and Manipur Rifles and other state forces should be immediately withdrawn back to valley from the Naga speaking areas because they have blocked all the roads leading to Naga areas by these Manipur commandoes and Manipur Rifles. They have been imposing curfew, they used to relax only for one-two hours during daytime and again re-impose the curfew. So this need be to immediately withdrawn and arrest warrants have been issued against some of our student leaders and civil society leaders by the Manipur government, that should be withdrawn,” said Kelhouneizo Yhome.

Tribal groups from Nagaland blocked supplies to neighbouring Manipur, home to more than 2.5 million people, for preventing their separatist leader Thuingaleng Muivah from visiting his birthplace.

Insurgency has long plagued Manipur as well and dozens of tribal insurgent groups still exist, though violence levels in the region have fallen.

The Manipur standoff is seen as a new security headache for the federal government which is already struggling with a growing Maoist insurgency.

The Nagas have been fighting Indian forces for a free Nagalim state carved out of the northeastern region, including parts of Manipur. Manipuris oppose this and see Muivah’s attempts to visit his village as undermining their territorial integrity.

The 60-day blockade has dried up supplies in Manipur and a litre of gasoline is selling for almost double the normal rate while food prices have soared and medicines are scarce.

Earlier, Home secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters federal troops would be deployed from Tuesday (June 15) to end the blockade.

Manipur has a border with Myanmar and is considered India’s trade gateway to Southeast Asia. Government officials say ensuring peace is vital because it could help promote international trade.

The Naga rebellion is a 60-year revolt in which tens of thousands were killed in Nagaland before a truce was declared in 1997. Negotiations with New Delhi have made little progress since then. Muivah, who is mostly based in Amsterdam, is in now in India for talks.