CM accused of scuttling talk on Sadar Hills issue
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 25 2011:
Former MLA Meinam Bhorot has accused Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh of scuttling the proposed talks between the Government of Manipur and representatives of Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) .
In a statement, Bhorot said that the people of Manipur who have been reeling under the impact of blockade have been eagerly looking forward to the outcome of the talks.
But the representatives of SHDDC did not show up as the Chief Minister indicated taking another six months towards resolving the Sadar Hills issue, thereby revealing lack of diplomatic skills on his part and making the matter all the worse.
The former BJP MLA pointed out that there is no issue which cannot be resolved through talk.
"Not to talk of the issue over Sadar Hills district demand, how come the Chief Minister and his advisors forgot about the peace talk being pursued by the Government of India towards finding a solution to the over 60-year old Naga insurgency problem.
There is lot that could be learned from this", Bhorot observed.
The UPA government at the Centre is supporting the dangerous issue of 'Alternative Arrangement'.
In such a situation, no one would be able to say what would be the future of Manipuri society.
"Would there be another Government in this world, which is completely oblivious to the suffering of the people owing to the nearly three months long ongoing economic blockade of the SHDDC?", Bhorot questioned, while observing that the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers in the SPF Government should understand that the policy of 'fishing in troubled water' would never last long.
Demanding the state government to initiate talk with start SHDDC at once, the former MLA pointed out that a 40-year old demand could never be resolved in 40 minutes.
So, even if it takes another six months, an initiative should be taken up for holding talk.
Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh may go and another may come but the issue would remain if no effort is initiated from now onwards, and if Chief Minister O Ibobi does not know how to go about with the talk, then he should understand better what he should do, Bhorot added.