Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 28:
Strongly reacting to the statement of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil that there is no crisis in Manipur and that the present agitation is being carried out by some students, the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup today said that Patil is weighing the intensity of the agitation on a scale instead to trying to redress the grievances of the people.
In a statement, the Apunba Lup said that Delhi and the State Government may pretend that everything is all right, but that is not the case and came out very strongly against the Home minister who said, "only two people have died in the agitation." This shows how much Delhi cares about the welfare of the people, said the statement and added that if their agitation is seen as anti-national then Shivraj Patil can be taken as being anti-Manipuri.
What the people of Manipur are demanding is to let them live under the rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, said the statement and added that the very statement of the Home Minister that they are acting in accordance with the Constitution of India is a big lie.
The Chief Minister also seems to have come under the impression that right to vote is more important than right to life as his statement at the flag hoisting ceremony of the Konthoujam by-poll indicates, said the Lup.
To the statement of Patil, that PR has not been imposed, the Lup derided the Minister and said that the issue here is not PR or a State Government but about a people's movement.
Forget PR even if emergency is declared, there will be no let up in the agitation said the Lup reasoning that AFSPA is worse than emergency.
Even today Sharmila is a fast unto death agitation against the Act, said the Lup and added that the attempts by the Govt to foil her agitation will not succeed.
The Lup also called upon all to ponder for whom Sharmila has taken up such a Herculean task.