IMPHAL, May 14 (PTI): Indo-Myanmar trade at the border town of Moreh in Manipur's Chandel district has been severely affected due to a 72-hour bandh called by a local tribal organisation from May 12.
There has not been any trade at Moreh, about 120 Kms south east of here, because of the bandh called by Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) demanding a ''Kuki State'' to be carved out of Manipur.
Official sources said central and state security forces have been deployed at certain parts of two national highways--Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati and Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar -- to prevent any untoward incident as all the essential items were brought to the land-locked state through these roads.
Source said international trade involving crores of rupees everyday was carried out at Moreh via which several essential items were brought into the state from Myanmar while India-made items were exported to that country.
"It is not reasonable. How can Manipur, a tiny state, be divided," Manipur Home Minister Gaikhangam had said, appealing to the KSDC to call off their bandh.
KSDC spokesman K Khongsai said they would launch economic blockade at the two national highways from May 15 to May 19 to press their demand. "Our demand is a historical right," he said in a statement.
Kukis and Nagas have settled in different parts of Manipur hills and along the arterial highways and a bandh called by the two communities affected the entire population of the state, official sources said.
Kukis had settled in Manipur from different parts of Myanmar and other places some 250 years ago, sources said.
