MPCC lines up public debate on FA, Citizenship Bill
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 28 2018:
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has announced that they would organise a public debate cum protest on Wednesday on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and the Framework Agreement signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM.
Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, MPCC spokesman MLA RK Anand said that the public meeting cum protest is a part of the Congress party's campaign to elicit details of the Framework Agreement.
The details of the agreement cannot be concealed for good and the people of Manipur have all the right to know all the details, Anand asserted.
He said that they have not yet received any response even though Congress party submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister on the same issue.
It is a matter of grave concern if what interlocutor RN Ravi stated and published by the Indian Express recently have been actually incorporated into the Framework Agreement, he decried.
Notably, it was RN Ravi who signed the Framework Agreement on behalf of the Government of India.
Proposals such as creation of a State within a State, granting autonomy to the Nagas of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh or creation of a pan-Naga cultural body transcending State boundaries directly challenge the integrity of Manipur and its age old socio-cultural fabric.
Congress party has rejected all such proposals and as usual, the party is fully committed to protect the integrity of Manipur, Anand said.
Narendra Modi Government's efforts to get the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 passed is unacceptable to the Congress party.
The Bill once passed will have adverse impacts on the identity, economy and culture of Manipur.
That is why, Congress party is organising a public meeting cum protest on May 30 so that a concrete decision can be adopted, said the MPCC spokesman.
The two issues of Framework Agreement and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 pose serious threats to the survival of Manipur.
Saying that the party has already consulted experts on the two issues, he appealed to all like-minded political parties, civil organisations and the general public to attend the public meeting cum protest.
MLA K Ranjit said that the Congress party's campaign is a campaign to save Manipur.
He then decried that some individuals/groups have been projecting that the campaign is stoking public sentiment and uproar.
The merger of independent Manipur with India does not mean its integrity and the sanctity of its territorial boundary can be distorted at will, he asserted.
All the high profile BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and party president Amit Shah stated that the Framework Agreement does not contain., anything inimical to the interest of Manipur and even the word 'Manipur' is not there.
But what RN Ravi stated recently contradicted all these assurances, Ranjit.
NSCN-IM has been persistently working to disintegrate Manipur and BJP has been apparently lending support to the rebel group's conspiracy, he alleged.