Political Apathy

To the 12 lakh-odd residents of the Imphal Valley, home to the dominant Meiteis, August 15 means nothing—the capital city and its outlying areas could observe an unofficial bandh on Independence Day. "Why should we celebrate Independence Day? We’re not independent at all," says R.N. Anand, a lawyer. "Had people in Delhi been forced to pay even half these prices, the Union government would have fallen," says Sobhapati Samom, a journalist. Trouble started on June 19 when the All Naga Students’ Association of Manipur (ANSAM) blockaded NH-39, the state’s lifeline that leads from Guwahati to Imphal via Kohima and the Naga-dominated hill districts of Manipur.

Most residents of the Imphal Valley have stopped using salt and oil and have been surviving on boiled vegetables and rice grown locally. Some grow vegetables in flowerpots. "Independence can be celebrated on a full stomach, not on an empty or half-empty one," says Anand.