"No one should condone offender Ramananda"
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 03 2023:
The Kanglei Salai Apunba Lup (KSAL) has categorically asserted that no individual or community should try to condone Takhellambam Ramananda after the highly offensive derogatory speech he delivered at Sagang Bazar on March 26 .
When Ramananda delivered his highly blasphemous and offensive speech, there were many people in the audience who were well versed in the teachings of Christianity but none bothered to intervene or stop the disparaging speech instead all of them listened to Ramananda as if it was a sweet song, the KSAL said in a press release.
Had Sagang Baptist Church evangelist Akhup Kom and other leaders of the Church stopped Ramananda's offensive speech, the Meitei community would have hailed all the Christian leaders of the Kom community, it said.
It's all right they did not stop Ramananda from delivering his offensive speech but the Kom Christians should not see the Meitei community as culpable when they (Meitei community) try to reprimand and teach Ramananda a lesson, the KSAL said.
No follower of Sanamahi faith ever harbours any ill-feeling against other religions and their followers, it said.
If any individual or group ever makes such a blasphemous and offensive speech against the age-old Meitei customs and Sanamahi faith, the KSAL would see that all the offenders/culprits are punished according to law.
When the people make different decisions in such an event, the offenders must face the consequences and no one or group should raise any objection through the media.
The offenders must accept the punishment awarded to them by the people, it said.
It then called upon the Meitei community to focus on preserving and promoting the Sanamahi faith.
"We must know ourselves, our history, our civilisation and we must understand that we can never leave our motherland", it added.
Meanwhile, the Maichou Ningshing Lup and Lairembi Shintha Lup have strongly condemned the highly blasphemous and offensive remarks made by Takhellambam Ramananda against the indigenous faith of the land.
The remarks made by Takhellambam Ramananda against the use of Tairel leaves for sprinkling water as a customary rite were an insult to the indigenous religion and customs of the Meitei community, the two Lups said.
Saying that Takhellambam Ramananda is punishable under Sections 153A, 295 and 295A of IPC, they urged the State Government to take up immediate action as per the law of the land.