War against drugs root cause of violence: MPCC
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 08 2023:
Maintaining that pro-tecting the territorial integrity of Manipur alone will not serve any purpose, the Congress has demanded that the central gov-errunent ensure protection of administrative and socio-eco-nomic integrity of the state at any cost.
Addressing media persons at Congress Bhawan here onThurs-day, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) vice presi-dent Hareshwar Goswami said that the Congress party believes that the ethnic violence can be contained only when the central government assures that the So0 Kuki militants will be confined in designated camps; territorial, administrative and socio-eco-nomic integrity of Manipur pro-tected; welfare activities for the displaced people taking shelter in relief camps will be taken up immediately; white paper to take up actions against poppy cultivators and drug lords in-volved in drug business made public; and illegal immigrants from Myamnar identified and deported.
Stating that the ethnic violence has wreaked havoc in the entire state, Hareshwar opined that such incidents seem to occur when the double engine government of BJP is in power.
The June 18 incident also happened when the BJP was in power at the centre.
Now, when thel3W is ruling both at the centre and in the state, the ethnic violence has erupted".
Maintaining that the BJP's "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" has turned into "Sabka Saath, Sabka Sarvanas", the MPCC vice pres-ident said that the Congress be-lieves that the genesis of the cur-rent ethnic violence in the state is the "war against drugs" launched by the state government against 'narco-terrorism' and assured to support the government's move.
While contending that the government has failed to take actions against the drug lords involved in the mass poppy cul-tivation in the state, he stressed the need for effective measures against the poppy planters and those involved in narco-terror-ism.
He also said that the report of Chin-Kuki militants infiltrating into the state from across the border after the military junta took over Myanmar is true.
These militants enter Manipur quite easily from across the border.
On the other hand, the armed groups of Manipur are shot at sight while trying to cross the border and this very act of the government of India smacks of a hidden agenda, he said.
The separate administrative demand for Kukis and the idea of greater Mizoram had been there since 1960 and successive govern-ments had tactfully handled and managed the situation ever since, he said and added that the current problem in Manipur has come up as the present government has failed to tackle the issue.
It is very unfortunate that the 40/50 years of Manipur's na-tionalism has today collapsed due to the failure of the govern-ment, Hareshwar Goshwami said while adding that the central government is either trying to disintegrate Manipur into three administrations just like Jammu & Kashmir or is letting the vio-lence continue so that both sides remain silent and do not put any demand further.