NEW DELHI // Hopes that a three-month economic blockade by two rival tribes in the insurgency-ridden state of Manipur could end appear doomed after one of the groups vowed to intensify its protests.
At the start of August, residents from the Sadar Hills, a region dominated by the Kuki tribe, began been blocking the two main motorways into the remote north-eastern state, causing shortages of food, petrol and medicines.
It was the latest stunt in a 40-year struggle to carve their own administrative district out of the Senapati district, which they said was dominated by the rival Naga tribe.
Many drivers who tried to slip through their barricades in recent weeks were stopped by armed militants and their lorries burnt.
Finally, on the eve of a visit by the Indian home minister, P Chidambaram, the state government caved in to their demands.
"We have decided to withdraw the blockade following assurance from the government to create a new district," the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee announced on Monday night, after several hours of negotiation with the chief minister.
No deadline had been set for creating the district but it would give the Kukis and other residents in the Sadar Hills more direct control over their budgets and local development funds.
They said these were currently being siphoned off by the Nagas in Senapati. The announcement brought a brief moment of hope across the country that the longest-running blockade in the state's history could finally be coming to an end.
But the Nagas have refused to accept the decision, saying they oppose "any attempt to divide our ancestral homeland".
They have been running their own counter-blockades on different parts of the same motorways in opposition to the new district and said they would now intensify their protests.
A full shutdown had been ordered in Naga-controlled districts over the weekend and leaders said they were looking for additional recruits to man blockades. "The state government was clearly under tremendous pressure to take a hasty decision due to the visit by the home minister," said Paul Leo, an adviser to the United Naga Council.
"We take great exception to this decision being made without our knowledge.
"There is a lot of anger and we will be intensifying our agitation from November 3."
Before the blockades, Manipur's capital received about 400 lorries carrying essential items every day, according to local media reports.
It currently receives between 300 and 400 per week and these have to travel with a heavy security escort.
The presence of dozens of militant groups in Manipur added a dangerous edge to the dispute.
In the 1990s, violent clashes between the Kukis and the Nagas left about 1,000 people dead and hundreds of homes destroyed.
Often, the insurgent groups have genuine demands for increased autonomy - even complete independence - from India.
But after decades of fighting, many have degenerated into little more than mafia-style extortion groups seeking to capitalise on the chaos.
Random terrorist attacks are a regular part of life in Manipur.
Last week, on the festival day of Diwali, two successive blasts in a crowded marketplace left seven shoppers injured.
No group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
"Everyone is happy that one of the groups has called off their blockade," said Babloo Loitongbam, of the Human Rights Alert, based in the capital of Imphal. "But we're apprehensive about what comes next."
"Decisions are made behind closed doors and then forced down on the rest.
"If you don't provide people with a legitimate avenue to air their grievances then they will resort to extreme measures."
A government spokesman said discussions were ongoing with the United Naga Council in a bid to end their blockade and reopen transport routes.
It remains to be seen whether the government would actually keep its promise of granting the Sadar Hills district more independence.
"The government has issued these assurances several times in the past," said Jitan Yumnan, a human rights activist. "Without a definite timeline, there is no guarantee the government will stick to its promises."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Scoreline
Chelsea 1
Azpilicueta (36')
West Ham United 1
Hernandez (73')
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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