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Indefinite blockade of two national highways leading into Manipur by agitating Naga groups opposing the Centre's decision to limit the ceasefire to Nagaland, is likely to aggravate the situation in the Northeast in the coming days, intelligence sources have said.
At least 600 trucks carrying essential goods have been stranded at Mao in Manipur's Senapati district after the Naga Youth Front (NYF) blocked NH 39 since Saturday evening.
To completely isolate Manipur from the rest of the country, the alternate route into Manipur - NH 53 - via southern Assam's Silchar township, has also been blockaded.
Security forces were on full alert on Sunday in view of the indefinite 'economic blockade', officials said.
"A few private buses were operating services to Imphal but trucks carrying food and other essentials were not plying," a police spokesman said.
"The protestors were ensuring that no essential commodities were being ferried in the buses and anybody found with edibles was reportedly assaulted," he added.
Naga groups called for the indefinite economic blockade, which began at 1800 hours (IST) on Saturday, after the government last month decided to revoke an extended ceasefire with the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Issac-Muivah).
"The blockade will be enforced as long as the Indian government does not extend the ceasefire to all Naga inhabited areas in the region," a spokesman of the Naga Youth Front, spearheading the blockade, told reporters.
"Our volunteers are making sure that no trucks are plying on the national highway linking Manipur to the rest of India," he added.
At least two trucks, carrying rice, bound for Imphal from adjoining Nagaland were looted by protestors and set ablaze on Saturday night, police said.
The economic blockade is aimed at cutting all supply routes for essential commodities coming into Manipur from other parts of the country.
"All vehicles need to cross Nagaland or other Naga inhabited areas to reach Manipur. In the past, many vehicles have been burnt down and drivers assaulted for defying militants' orders," the police official said.
Traders and residents in Imphal said prices of all essential goods have shot up by more than 100 per cent due to the shortage.
The initial June 14 agreement had envisaged an extended ceasefire with Naga militants to cover Nagaland and all Naga-inhabited areas in adjoining states.
This was resented by the neighbouring states and triggered violent demonstrations in Manipur, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh.
All three states, which have sizeable Naga populations, feared the government was planning to slice tracts of their territory to create a 'Greater Nagaland' - a concept mooted by the NSCN (I-M).
The Anti-ceasefire Agitation in Manipur: Complete Coverage
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