'Sana Konung is not a monument'
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 20 2013:
The statement of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh made during his speech at a function on the occasion of International Museum Day at the auditorium hall of State Museum on 18th May on the need to preserve Sana Konung (royal palace) under the Historical Monument Act has invited strong reaction from Sana Konung Semgat Lup (SKSL), which is an apex body of 25 social bodies.
P Araba Mangang, General Secretary of SKSL has stated that expressing sorrows over the present condition of Sana Konung in an invidious manner during public speeches and among the media fraternities was unfortunate.
Sana Konung is not a monument and has not been set up for tourists.
Even if the Sana Konung, which is an institution for culture, customary and religion of the land is soiled, dirty, ugly, the royal palace is performing all its duties for the welfare of Manipur,
he added.
The duties of performing customary, ritual and religious rites of Sana Konung can be replaced by a department or a temple board and the Chief Minister should understand why he can't be seated at the spot where most elderly person occupies during such rites and feast? It would be better for leaders to speak after knowing the existing customs and practices of the society, Araba countered.
The one-sidedness speech and effort to illustrate the titular king of Manipur, who is the customary head of the land, as an illegal occupier of royal palace might sow the new seeds of wrath and hostility of the people.
If the Chief Minister was informed about the articles and clauses enlisted in the documents of Inventory list and merger agreement he must have not made spoken such a serious matter in a such lighter vein without knowing the possible severe consequences, Araba said.
Reminding the Chief Minister about the decision taken during a meeting attended by representatives of SKSL, government officials, council of ministers at his office chamber in 2006 regarding the development of royal palace, Araba observed that when the people of Manipur contributed their own shares, Chief Minister Ibobi didn't even contributed single paisa for the development of Sana Konung.