Route to border town of Moreh remains blocked. Is national security being compromised?

Movement of forces to Manipur’s volatile border town of Moreh remains blocked for third day in a row.

Around 600 women protesters are blocking movement of India Reserve Battalion troopers along Asian Highway 1 or the National Highway 102 that connects India with Myanmar and beyond.

Forces are being stopped from heading to Moreh for over 72 hours now.

Is national security being compromised in the process?

In what can be termed as a unique protest, the women protesters, who have been camping on the Highway at the Tengnoupal junction, can be seen even dining and sleeping on the road unwilling to relent and make way for movement.

Chanting slogans with a banner demanding separate administration by their side, the womenfolk have so far not given in to the pleas of the authorities urging them to clear the road.

With Moreh reeling under acute shortage of security personnel, the blocking of the convoy of the close to 70-member IRB troopers at the Tengnoupal junction, makes things serious.

The IRB convoy was being moved to Moreh after large scale arson and shootout between security forces and heavily armed miscreants on July 26th.

In fact, more chilling details of the July 26th incident have come to the fore. As per highly placed sources, as many as 2 magistrates had a narrow escape in the border town when the electricity guest house where they were staying was set ablaze. If not for the timely rescue by BSF personnel, anything could have happened to the Additional Deputy Commissioner and the SDO lodged there.

Under these circumstances, blocking the crucial Asian Highway 1 and obstructing the movement of troops to the sensitive border town can be seen as a major national security issue.

While the authorities are using utmost restraint in dealing with the protesters, can the road be allowed to remain blocked indefinitely?

Is the Unified command under Security adviser Kuldiep Singh and the state chief secretary taking steps to ensure restoration of traffic along the route?

Well, as per sources, the District Level Security Coordination Cell, Tengnoupal which has the SP, DC, Brigadier Assam Rifles, Commanding Officer BSF and senior officers of Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau as members, is frequently updating the details to the State level committee under the Unified Command.

Well this is not the first instance of women protesters blocking the movement of forces. Similar scenes have also been witnessed in the Imphal valley where security personnel were prevented from heading to the periphery areas on multiple occasions.

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