Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 04 2009:
Persisting with its demand for resignation of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup has asked Ibobi to step down or face people's relentless movement.
A press release issued by the Apunba Lup asserted that the people's movement cannot be suppressed however hard the Government may try to break up people's protest movement by using brute force.
Attempts to silence press by hiring loyal people and gifting bullets to schools could never succeed in quelling the people's movement nor the Government can ever cover up its faults, it said.
The Apunba Lup also appealed to all sections of the people including civil organisations, NGOs, senior citizens, lawyers, sportspersons, artists, workers, peasants and women's organisations to demonstrate their united strength.
Leaving behind other cases of killings in the past, it would not be politically and morally correct on the part of the people to be complacent after the July 23 fake encounter has been exposed to the whole world by Delhi based Tehelka magazine.
Observing the brutal massacres of Heirangoithong, RIMS, Malom and many others have been made to fade away from public memory, the Apunba Lup alleged that the Government has adopted an attitude of sheer irresponsibility thinking that people would quell down after providing a petty job to a family member of the deceased or a few days of protest.
For fake encounters, security personnel are being awarded gallantry awards.
For these extra-judicial killings, the State Government has been receiving huge amounts of money from New Delhi.
The money sanctioned for extra-judicial killings is being shared by the Chief Minister, Ministers and MLAs, the Apunba Lup alleged.
It is the fear of losing this source of huge amounts of easy money that all the Ministers and MLAs have been keeping mum to all the appeals, complaints and protests of the people, it added.
Cautioning that Ministers and MLAs would soon land in big trouble if they continue to pretend that people are still unaware of their true colours, the Apunba Lup asserted that leaders of New Delhi, AICC president Sonia Gandhi and the Governor may overlook the misgovernance of the state Government but the people of Manipur would never forgive them.