Instrument of Accession deliberated upon
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 11 2016 :
A one-
day discussion programme
on Instrument of Accession
(IOA) was held today at
Manipur Press Club under
the aegis of the Committee
of Civil Societies
Kangleipak (CCSK).
The discussion pro-
gramme was attended by
titular king Leishemba
Sanajaoba, social activist
Dr Lisam Khomdon and
CCSK president Arjun
Tenheiba as chief guest,
guest of honour and
president respectively.
Speaking at the
gathering, Leishemba
Sanajaoba remarked that
Irom Sharmila's decision
to break her 16 years old
fast was a humiliating
defeat for the Indian
State and the Government
of Manipur.
Her decision
demonstrated before the
whole world that there is
no real democracy in
India.
Even as Sharmila has
broken her fast, people
need to carry on the
campaign against the
infamous AFSPA until
the Act is scrapped
totally, he exhorted.
The titular king then
highlighted the need to
orchestrate people's
different movements for a
common goal rather than
pursuing different goals
separately.
Lisam Khomdon
remarked that Sharmila's
decision deserves appre-
ciation.
The disrespect
shown to Sharmila by the
State was a humiliation of
the whole State of
Manipur.
Rather than criticising
Sharmila's decision,
people need to come out
to carry forward the
crusade, Khomdon said.
UCM president
Elangbam Johnson said
that people were little
aggrieved at Sharmila's
sudden decision to break
her fast without giving
any room for consultation
with the people yet her
decision must be respected.
The response or rather the non-response of the
Government of India to Sharmila's 16 years long fast needs a thor-
ough introspection.
Had the State Cabinet adopted a single decision against
prolonging AFSPA in Manipur, people would have been
gratified even if the Cabinet decision was rejected by New
Delhi, Johnson said.
Nonetheless, the Nagaland Cabinet had the guts to tell the
Centre that AFSPA should not be extended in Nagaland.
But
Government of Manipur had never adopted such a commend-
able decision, he decried.