Leave the people alone for free & fair election: ZCOs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 03 2022:
The Zeliangrong Civil Organisations (ZCOs) comprised of Zeliangrong Baudi, Zeliangrong Youth Front and Zeliangrong Students Union has urged all concerned to leave the people alone in the matter of election so that the people is allowed to exercise their democratic rights in free and fair manner.
Let the people use their wisdom and decide their own choice to vote and choose the right candidate to represent them, said a release issued by ZCOs.
"We have been witnessing development deficit, economic backwardness and tardy social progress in Zeliangrong areas due to disturbances, interferences, obstruction and intimidation to voters from different factors during election time in the guise of different issues and agenda", it added.
"It is quite dismayed to learn that some people imposed road blockade in two different locations near Tamphung village and Magamai village areas situated along the Maram-Peren road under Tadubi Assembly Constituency, Senapati District, Manipur", said ZCO while adding that Zeliangrong voters comprised of students and others who are doing different professions and coming to exercise their democratic right from Nagaland side were forcibly turned back towards Peren side at Tamphung village and those voters coming from Senapati and Imphal side were forcibly turned back towards Maram Centre side at Magamai village.
ZCOs expressed its reservations against such unlawful and criminal acts indulged and committed by those groups of people and urged the authority concerned to enquire into the incident and identify the people who are behind the incident and book them immediately as per law of the land.
"The weakness and the ineffectiveness of the Government should not unnecessarily render the democratic citizen of the country to suffer in such a manner.
Failure on the part of the Government to act as per law of the land will only set a precedent in the coming future", it added.
ZCOs continued that it is not wise to obstruct the rights of others while trying to achieve their objective.
The best approach and the most effective method of winning the election is to convince the hearts and minds of the voters by way of rightful and acceptable means.
The organisation also mentioned that obstruction, interference, disturbances, coercion or intimidation to the public to win the election will only bring negative impact to social progress in addition to social disharmony and escalation of animosity among the people.
"It is the bounden duty of each and every citizen of the country to support and cooperate with each other by ensuring the participation of every voter to exercise their democratic right by choosing their own choice of candidate", it added.
ZCOs also mentioned that the selection of candidates without giving the opportunity to the people to think is the root cause of social backwardness and poor economical condition of the people.
"Selection of candidates by certain groups or organisations by means of intimidation or coercion to voters during the election time is a suppressive policy and anti people approach which should be stopped forthwith in the larger interest of the people", it added.
ZCOs further urged all voters to exercise their democratic right in a free & fair manner while stating that ensuring a peaceful conduct of election is the responsibility of the Government.