NH blockade hits food supply to six Arunachal districts

Itanagar, May 12 (UNI) Food crisis hit six districts in Arunachal Pradesh following continuous blockade of National Highway 37, 38 and 52 in Asom's Tinsukia district since May 8 by civil societies.

The civil societies, including Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, blocked the highways to protest the alleged killing of innocent youths by the Army.

The blockades at Doomdooma, Makum, Rupai, Sadia and Dhola in Asom had severely affected availability of essential commodities in Lohit, Anjaw, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley , Changlang and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Arunachal Pradesh Women Welfare Society(APWWS) today appealed to the agitating organisations to withdraw the blockade as it had led to shortage of food supply, LPG and fuel causing tremendous hardships to the people.

The APWWS condemned the killing of 'innocent' youths by the Army and lamented that the most affected were patients who could not be transported to Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Guwahati and other places for treatment.

Such incidents would create further misunderstandings and suspicions between the civilian population and the Armed Forces in the NE, the APWWS commented, adding that the region needed to be governed with understanding and not ruled under guns.

The civil societies should continue protesting against the Army atrocities without affecting the lives of civilians, the statement added.

UNI