Privilege Committee taking action against 10 MLAs : Nishikant
Counter wrong narratives call rung out
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 28 2023:
Keishamthong Constituency MLA Nishikant Singh Sapam has categorically stated that the Privilege and Ethics Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly has started taking due course of proceedings against the demand raised by 10 MLAs to establish a separate administration for Chin-Kuki and its kindred tribes and the response will be announced on May 31 .
The MLA made the announcement during an interaction with members of United Clubs' Organisation (Ward No 9, Keishamthong AC) who came to submit a six-point memorandum to the residence of the former at Sega Road Thouda Bhabok Leikai, today.
The memorandum urged the MLA to apprise the Assembly Speaker to take action against the 10 Chin-Kuki MLAs, persuade the Centre to revoke the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with the Kuki militant groups, implement National Register of Citizens (NRC), carry out the resettlement works for the displaced families on war footing and restore peace and normalcy at the earliest.
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Notably, Nishikant is the Chairman of the Privilege and Ethics Committee.
During the interaction, the MLA continued that he will endorse all the decisions taken by the public to protect the unity and integrity of the State.
The de- mand to disintegrate Mani-pur is not acceptable under any circumstances, he added.
He also stated that those who have been settling in the State before 1961 are all Manipuris.
Saying that the statement given by the Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh about some weapons of the SoO groups missing is clear evidence that the groundrules are being violated, Nishikant urged the Centre to make sure the rules of SoO are not violated.
There are not many leaders to air the grievances of the Meetei at New Delhi and as such Meeteis have been depicted as the one who are wrong, Nishikant added.
He also said that the Meeteis must have the competency to give a befitting response to all the fabricated articles published outside Manipur regarding the conflict between two sections of the people in Manipur.
The MLA said that he fully supports implementation of NRC in Manipur.
He went on to state that some people openly declaring that they will not return to Imphal and settle at the hill districts is an attempt to disintegrate Manipur and it is not acceptable.
Meeteis were earlier referred to as a tribal group by the British, he said and added that though Meeteis are also the 'owner' of Manipur, they are allowed to settle only in the valley which constitutes just about 10 per cent of the total geographical area of Manipur.
The areas of the valley would be much smaller if Loktak Lake and Keibul Lamjao National Park are not counted, Nishikant continued and added that the Meeteis must be given Scheduled Tribe (ST) status considering all the threats the indigenous group is facing.
Nishikant added that the population of Manipur was 5.7 lakh in 1951 but the figure would be around 40 lakh now and questioned where the Meeteis would settle after 30 or 40 years if the present system continues.
Meanwhile, the visiting team expressed their resentment against the conduct of the Army to the MLA.