Source: Imosa/The Sangai Express
On board Indian Airlines flight, October 31:
Carrying the expectations of the people of Manipur on their shoulders, tension is writ large on the face of the Apunba Lup team who left for Delhi to meet the Prime Minister on the AFSPA issue tomorrow.
"We know the people of Manipur have reposed faith in us to break the deadlock over the demand to lift the AFSPA from the entire State even though both the State and Central Governments have shown no such keenness to comply with the wishes of the people," said Arambam Lokendra, to The Sangai Express aboard Indian Airlines flight during its brief stop over at Guwahati�s Gopinath Bordoloi airport.
However, with the blessings of the people of Manipur, the opportunity has arrived to place the grievances of the masses at the highest level - the Prime Minister, said Lokendra said to be the chief spokesperson of the team.
"The Prime Minister will be told of the urgent necessity to remove all black laws from not only Manipur but the entire North East region so that people of the region can live a secured life - free from threat and intimidation," he added.
Lokendra also said the PM would be urged to provide an atmosphere wherein every citizen of the region can aspire to live peacefully without the fear of the security personnel hanging over their heads.
The insecurity problem faced by the people of Manipur will be adequately highlighted to the PM and he will be urged to provide an atmosphere to live life with quality, prevent shedding of innocent blood and enable the people to live as fellow humans and not at the mercy and whims of the security personnel, he stated.
Referring to the lifting of POTA, he said imposition of AFSPA in Manipur is against the very spirit of scraping POTA which the UPA Government discarded to prevent misuse of the Act.
Similarly Manipuris also want security of life which cannot be guaranteed by enforcing AFSPA, he contended.
When pointed out the lack of representation of all communities for the New Delhi talks, Lokendra said AFSPA is not a problem besetting the majority community as bullets do not differentiate communities.
"We have the goodwill of all the communities living in Manipur and will not take any decision without the consent of all concerned," he added.
Time constraint is another reason, Lokendra reasoned for their inability to include representatives of all the communities.
When reminded that Union Home Minister and the Defence Minister had opposed lifting of disturbed area status from Manipur, he said comments/decision of the two are not important at this juncture as the talks are to be held with the man who can have the final say in any matter of the country.