Thangso regrets racial attacks on NE people
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 09 2014:
Inspite of asserting that recent spate of racial attacks on people of North East region in the national capital deserve con-demnation in the strongest term, Lok Sabha MP from Outer Manipur P/C Thangso Baite nevertheless cautioned that such a sensitive issue should not be politicised.
Thangso Baite, who was elected for the first time to the Parliament as a Congress nominee and would be the national party's candidate for the 15th Lok Sabha elections, observed that racial attacks and abuse of NE people in New Delhi need to be tackled tactfully rather than trying to project or interprete the incidents from the political angle.
Stating that on getting information about the attacks and abuses of NE people North East MP Forum was formed and a delegation apprised gravity of the situation to the AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and other central leaders, the MP maintained that the Forum took all possible steps to stop the violence and restore normalcy in the national capital.
Further stating that the Forum is committed to amicably settling any serious issue that concerns interest and security of NE people studying or working in New delhi, Thangso baite speaking to some newspersons today also opined that along with the issue concerning racial attacks all concerned should refrain from trying to politicise the Indo (Manipur) -Myanmar border fencing dispute.
Regretting that whenever issues related to racial attacks and border fencing disputes figure in parliamentary debates some political parties have the tendency or try to gain political mileage, he suggested that taking into account sensitive nature of both issue political parties as well as all stakeholders need to work out an effective mechanism for solving the matter at hand.
Thangso also affirmed that integrity of the nation and the State, safeguarding the territorial boundary of manipur and promoting peace and development of the State would remain his top priorities.
Conveying gratitude to the Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi, MPCC president Gaikhangam and Chief Minister O ibobi for reposing faith on him to contest in the Outer Manipur PC as a Congress nominee for the second successive time, the MP also noted that recommendation and support by the party functionaries and workers at the grassroot level eventually tipped the scale in his favour.
Thangso also pledged his full commitment in translating into action policy/programme enlisted in the Congress party's election manifesto.