People urged to help village volunteers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, September 21 2023: Thawai Meerel has called upon the people of the state for daily saving of two handful of rice and offer weekly prayer at local Meira Shang or Umang Laibung to seek blessing for protection of village volunteers and to discuss the current situation.

Addressing the media at Manipur Press Club here on Thursday, Thawai Meerel convenor Thongam Dara said that it has been over four months of persistent attack by the armed Chin-Kuki people on Meetei villages aimed at disintegrating the state.

Thousands of brave sons and daughters of the soil are fighting this aggression relentlessly.

This should be taken as an aggression towards the whole indigenous communities of the state and not only the Meetei, he said.

As the violence continues unabated, there are numerous reports and allegations of Assam Rifles aiding the Chin-Kuki armed groups, which shows clear evidence of a secret agenda of the ministry of home affairs aimed at suppressing the Meetei community, opined the convenor.

Exhorting the public to continue to demand removal of Assam Rifles from the state and ask the MHA to stop its nefarious agenda in order to end the conflict, Dara cautioned that as continuation of the conflict will seriously affect the state's economy concerted effort of the whole Meetei population to help one another is need of the hour.

As such, saving two handful of rice on daily basis and offering weekly prayer to seek divine intervention for protection of the village volunteers should be the responsibility of every citizen, he said while urging all to consider his proposal.

He also called upon the people to stop consuming imported tobacco products like Zarda, Supari, Khaini, Talab and Pan Masala, at least until the crisis is over, while pointing out that people, who consume any of these products spend at least Rs 50 a day.

The cumulative daily expenditure for consuming such products sums up to Rs 2.5 lakh a day and Rs 75 crore a month if the user population size is estimated at 5 lakh.

He also appealed to agents, who bring in these products to cease their trade until the crisis is over.

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