Economic blockade begins in Manipur, Indo Myanmar trade affected

Imphal: The indefinite economic blockade called by two student bodies to demand that 7000 students be allowed to appear in the Class-X Manipur board exam began from midnight last night along Imphal-Moreh National Highway, affecting movement of vehicles carrying goods. Although the movement of passenger buses and other transport services were allowed, volunteers of Kuki Students’ Organisation and Naga Students’ Union Chandel district checked all the vehicles blocking those carrying economic items either from Moreh to Imphal or Imphal to Moreh, official reports from Chandel district, bordering with Myanmar, said.  The two students’ bodies alleged that the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM) had not allowed about 7000 students particularly from hill districts to sit for the BSEM Class X exam about two years ago despite their attending the schools for about ten years. Sources in the BSEM said certain rules and regulations have to be followed by the candidates before appearing for any BSEM examination and there were cases whereby students who had studied at valley educational institutions wanted to write their examinations at the hill centres. Commenting on the economic blockade, officials said they were not aware of the demand of the two students’ bodies and would look into the matter when a proper complaint was received by the BSEM. They appealed to the two students’ bodies to call off the economic blockade because international trade between India and Myanmar is carried out through border town of Moreh, about 120 km south-east of here, on daily basis involving crores of rupees. PTI