On Christmas Eve this year, the streets of Imphal City lie bare and morose as the economic blockade has spiralled into weeks of uncertainty for the Nagas living in the city.
There’s some activity as young and old head to the Tangkhul Lane Community Centre where volunteers have promised to help them make their way back to Ukhrul district – their home – for Christmas.
This promise, however, is not easy to deliver. The road to Ukhrul has been blocked to keep Manipur’s Naga population stranded in Imphal City. This is in response to the blockade put in place by the United Naga Council over the recent creation of new districts, which it sees as dividing the Naga people.
Those stranded in Imphal have turned to the Tangkhul Lane Community Centre for shelter. But by Friday morning, the centre had to close its doors as it could accommodate no more, reported The Indian Express.
Convoys leaving for Ukhrul have had to leave in the dead of the night after 22 vehicles – under police protection – were stopped and set on fire on Saturday.
The following Friday, one such convoy carrying 1,000 stranded residents had to come back as it failed to cross over to Ukhrul.