AMCO initiates peace process; UCM, AMUCO avers
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 30, 2013:
All Manipur Christian Organisation (AMCO) on Wednesday called upon all civil society organisations in Manipur to play a major role in bringing a peaceful society and appealed to all ethnic communities to shun violence and enmity.
AMCO organized a one-day discussion on finding a way out of the unstable situation in the state and building a peaceful and harmonious society at Manipur Baptist Church (MBC), Chingmeirong in Imphal.
Representatives of All Manipur Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and United Committee Manipur (UCM) attended the discussion.
Giving the welcome address, AMCO President Rev S Prim Vaiphei noted: "All the communities in the state have co-existed peacefully with love and understanding since very long time and these different communities have also played their respective roles in safeguarding the state." The instability prevailing now in Manipur could be addressed only when these communities work for a common interest by keeping back self-interest, he suggested.
Rev Prim Vaiphei also urged all civil society organizations in the state to maintain a balanced outlook and hold consultations among themselves regularly in order to shape the society.
Participating in the discussion, AMUCO President KT Rahaman contended that Government of India has been fomenting hostility and discord among different ethnic communities in Manipur.
He was of the view that election of two MPs by dividing the State as 'Outer Manipur and Inner Manipur' was one of the key factors that could contribute to splitting the State.
Rahaman went on to say that the Government has failed to take up developmental activities evenly in the state and it has instead turned against the ethnic communities to break them up, letting them to raise different demands for each community.
AMCO core member Rev Dr Konghar said that it was a wrong policy of the Government to target people instead of dealing firmly with the prevalent conflict in the state.
Eating together and discussing together among all the community members on regular basis would bring peace in Manipur and this is also one of the most important objectives of AMCO, Konghar said, adding that such discussion would also be held in future and United Naga Council and Kuki civil society organizations would be invited next.
UCM President Y Nabachandra maintained that there is no major clash or disagreement among the different communities in Manipur till date apart from some minor incidents that have been incited by some people for their own vested interest.
He further observed that the path of love, peace and understanding among all the communities in Manipur would be found only when all the NGOs work together to strike at the root cause of misunderstanding among these communities.
Earlier, delivering the keynote address, Rev Timothy Phaomei of Rongmei Naga Baptist Association (RNBA), who is also a Core Member of AMCO and Director of Love Manipur, said that AMCO is an organization composed of all Christian denominations from all sections of the society in Manipur, including the Meiteis, the Kukis, the Nagas, the Nepalis and the Mayangs.
It is an organization that represents all the Christians in Manipur with an intention to actively contribute to the common good of "our society" by sowing Christian values of love, forgiveness, justice, brotherhood and peace, he said, adding "The AMCO is purely religious and non-partisan organization with no affiliation to any political party, ideology or community." "Our means of attaining our ends/goals is through non-violent peaceful means (ahimsa) which employs negotiation, dialogue, forgiveness and reconciliation which is inspired by Christian understanding of inviolable human dignity that comes from the love of God," Rev Timothy Phaomei said.
The security of a society, within and without, cannot be built on bogus values and attitudes such as racial or ethnic superiority, economic superiority, or on Darwinian Theory of 'survival of the fittest,' he added.
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