IMPHAL: A day after the United Naga Council (UNC) lifted its over four-month-long economic blockade on the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Silchar highways following a tripartite meeting with the state and central government, council president Gaidon Kamei and publicity secretary SK Stephen were freed on Monday without any conditions.After withdrawing all the charges framed against the two UNC leaders, the chief judicial magistrate (Imphal East) released them. Soon after this, they proceeded to Senapati town where people, mostly UNC members, accorded a warm welcome to them.Appreciated the move of the new BJP -led coalition government, Gaidon said the new dispensation has understood the sentiments of the Nagas. The release of the two top UNC leaders was made as per the tripartite agreement signed in Senapati on Sunday. The lifting of blockade was the first priority of chief minister N Biren Singh and he has succeeded in his promise.After the blockade was lifted last midnight, trucks and oil tankers have started plying on NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur highway) from Monday morning.Denouncing the creation of seven new districts in the hills by the previous Congress government, the UNC imposed its economic blockade on the two highways from November 1 last year. The apex Naga civil body had asked the state government to roll back the creation of seven new districts, saying that the Nagas' ancestral areas were divided.The UNC has opposed the creation of Kangpokpi and Jirbam districts. The Kangpokpi district was created by carving out the Kuki-dominated areas of the Naga-majority Senapati district.Gaidon and Stephen were arrested by Manipur Police commandos in November last year from Imphal while they were travelling in a jeep. The Manipur high court, while hearing a public interest litigation on March 3, had termed the UNC-sponsored economic blockade 'illegal' and directed the state and central authorities to ensure smooth flow of essential commodities along the two highways.

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