Over 500 people join hands to insist talks between CCpur JAC and JCILPS
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 20 2016:
In a
significant gesture over 500
people, 515 to be exact, have
come together to promote talks
between the Joint Committee on
Inner Line Permit System
(JCILPS) and the JAC Against
Anti-Tribal Bills, Churachand-
pur (JACAATB) to end the
ongoing impasse and restore
communal harmony between
the different communities of the
State.
Significantly the cam-
paigners are drawn from
different communities of the
State and the petitions are sub-
mitted online on Change.org.
Copies of the online peti-
tion have also been submitted
to the JCILPS and
JACAATB.
A memorandum each was
also submitted to the Chief
Minister and the Chief Secre-
tary requesting them to
mediate between the two par-
ties.
One of the signatories in-
formed
The Sangai
Express, "
We the signatories
believe that dialogue is the
only means to sort out the
differences so that peace is
restored."
The petitioners produced
ad verbatim the quotes from
the JCILPS and JACAATB.
The Chief-Convenor of
JACAATB H Mangchinkhup
said : "There has been no ini-
tiative from the Manipur
Government for any dialogue
for the last 6 months.
We are
open to any dialogue with
JCILPS."
The Co-Convenor of
JCILPS Md Kheiruddin Shah
Moijingmayum said : "So far
there has not been any initia-
tive from Government of
Manipur.
Of course, want to
go for a dialogue with
JACAATB."
One of the campaigners of
the petition, Devakishor
Soraisam is quoted as saying,
"I was very worried about the
present turmoil in Manipur,
the growing distrust between
the communities and the pos-
sibility of communal violence.
I saw dialogue between the
communities as the only way
to ease this turmoil and bring
about an amicable solution.
I
also saw that many people
shared this same opinion, but
our individual voices were not
getting heard.
Looking at this,
I pitched this idea of a peti-
tion to my friends and jointly
started this petition."
Another campaigner,
Ringo Pebam said, "We are
not activists, we are not Civil
Society Organisations, we are
not influenced by the State or
non-State actors, we are just
common men like you and
him and her, who see what
we all see, and feel the urgent
need for a dialogue between
the spearheading committees
of the hills and the valley for
an amicable solution."
Diana Elangbam, who
signed the petition's webpage
in Change.org commented, "I
am a daughter whose mother
belongs to a tribal community
and a father who belongs to
the Meitei community and to
my knowledge all I can say is
that there has been a huge
communication gap among
the various communities of
Manipur which can be solved
through peaceful talks and
this would be a great start."
Another petitioner, Kenny
Sialloa, said, "We have been
living together for centuries.
No force should allow us to
live apart from each other."
The petitioners are pinning
their hopes on the two sides
talking things over for peace.