Amid gloom, Manipur receives 1st goods train full of potatoes & onions
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, July 24: At a time when Manipur is battling worst ethnic violence in decades, a goods train brought rare good news for the northeastern state. The first ever goods train to reach Imphal on Monday brought wagons full of Coca Cola and juices to cheer the mood of the people faced with hardships.
“In a historic first, Northeastern Frontier Railways loaded two wagons of potato from Dhupguri (West Bengal) for Khongsang station in Manipur. These two wagons were clubbed with three wagons of sugar (by allowing piecemeal re-booking as a special case from Azara on the request of Secretary/Transport, Govt of Manipur) and six wagons from New Guwahati (two wagons of packaged juice, two wagons of Coca Cola, one wagon of potato chips and one wagon of onion),” said the Ministry of Railways in an official statement on Monday.
The mixed freight train started its journey from Guwahati on July 22. The train reached Khongsang station in Manipur. “The goods train was received by Chief Minister Manipur N Biren Singh and other state ministers and officials,” added the Ministry of Railways.
Facing the ethnic violence since May 3, Manipur is battling spate of arsons among the feuding tribe groups. With thousands of the people displaced, Manipur is also said to be facing shortages of essential commodities. The essential goods had previously been airlifted, but the arrival of the goods train provides option for the state to source essential goods from Assam at a short notice.
Incidentally, Manipur until 2014 had faced months of road blockade. With the Kuki and Meitei tribal groups carrying out acts of violence, Manipur is yet to return to normalcy. Manipur is also facing exodus of the Meitei tribal people from the neighbouring Mizoram amid spiralling of the ethnic clashes.
The ongoing session of Parliament is also paralysed on account of the Manipur violence with the Opposition pressing for the statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Opposition has accused the government of inaction in dealing with the ethnic clashes which also hogged the limelight after release of the videos of two Kuki-Zomi tribe women paraded naked and allegedly gangraped.
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