Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, June 21:
The All Manipur Polo Association has condemned the firing at unarmed civilians, who were protesting against the cease-fire extension on Monday, causing the death of 13 persons and injury of 50 others.
It held the state legislators as well as the Central government responsible for the conflagration and the loss of live.
It also raised few questions for the Centre to answer: (i) Is creation of the Indian states is based on ethnic lines? If so, why has not Jammu and Kashmir teen organized into two separate states, or what is wrong in carving out Muslim states out of the Muslim-dominated areas in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh? (ii) Whether armed movement is needed to reach a voice to the ear of Indian government? and (iii) Why it is that the ceasefire has been extended to other states of North East despite the repeated assurances given by the Centre not to do so? In this condition, on what rationale the people should believe that the territorial integrity of Manipur would not be affected? Or is the Centre asking the people to protest after the territory has been disintegrated? The association informed that though it is a sports organization, it would not remain 'silent if the territorial integrity is threatened.