JOIN US College student Binoy Aribam, 22, living in the outskirts of Manipur’s capital Imphal, is unable to attend classes even after educational institutions re-opened four days ago. Reason: He cannot afford to buy petrol for his two-wheeler.
“With the passing of the Inner Line Permit Bill by the government, Imphal is back to normal life, but again we saw violence in Churachandpur district and the state government could not handle it. Amid this we have yet another crisis, the prices of essential commodities are very high and stocks are limited. Now, I cannot go to college again. My mother is cooking with firewood,” Aribam said. Petrol is being sold in the black market at Rs 170-200 per litre, Diesel at Rs 120-150 a litre and cooking gas cylinder is sold at Rs 2,000.
Most of the petrol pumps have run dry in Imphal with a massive landslide blocking NH-2 at Phesama in Nagaland and break down of Barak Bridge in Southern Assam on NH-37. “I cannot buy fuel at such high rates; neither can my family buy gas cylinders at such high rates. Every time Manipur faces blockades, such things take place and black marketers take charge and mint money. The government remains silent,” Aribam added.
Thousands of people gathered in a few petrol pumps where fuel is still left. “People should come together and collectively put pressure on the state and central government to take up immediate measures to expedite a lasting solution and development of required infrastructure to ease the intermittent scarcity of essential commodities being faced in the state instead of indulging in negative and regressive politics and mudslinging amongst the cohabiting communities,” said K Nilakomol Singh, the Convenor of All Manipur Indian Oil Dealers’ Association.