Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, December 04:
The Congress (I) will fight the next assembly election on the plank of the reconstruction of Manipur, said Congress stalwart and former chief minister Rishang Keishing.
Speaking to IFP in an exclusive meeting today, the octogenarian politician said Manipur had been reduced to zero financially, politically and developmentally and the state would have to begin anew from now on.
As such, he said, the Congress (I) is laying heavy emphasis on the reconstruction of Manipur for preserving it intact.
Stressing that there was an urgent need to revive the traditional relationship existing among the hill and valley people, he asserted that the Congress would take a major role in this regard.
He observed that even though the Centre-NSCN (IM) ceasefire has been withdrawn from Manipur, a gap had been left behind among the hill and valley people, and this gap would have to be bridged now.
Stating that the people of Manipur were disappointed by the role played by the present administration in this regard, he maintained that the PR government has done nothing to rebuild ties between the hill and valley people.
He said the PR government had failed to convene any meeting with hill village chiefs to reconcile them and meet their grievances.
Rishang said that under the President�s Rule administration, the law and order problems of the state were the responsibility of the Union and financial problems that of the Union finance ministry.
However, nothing had been done to tackle these problems and the people have lost faith in the PR government.
Rishang justified the recent extension of PR in Parliament being necessary, saying that it had prevented a Constitutional crisis.
Reiterating that the Congress (I) would not ally itself with any other party in the forthcoming Assembly elections, Rishang said the party would put up candidates in all 60 seats.
The party expected at least 20 MLAs in the valley areas and 12 to 15 in the hill areas, Rishang said.
Rishang said it was time to end the prolonged insurgency in the state and turn attention to development.
He also wanted the various insurgent groups to merge together under a common agenda and come forward for talks to achieve a political solution.
On the proliferation of local parties, Rishang said this was a bad sign as this has weakened unity.
He said there should be stop the trend of setting up new parties every now and then in trying to play power politics.