Folks urged
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 21 2023: Thawai Meerel has advised people to stop consuming tobacco and other related products such as meetha patti, supari, zarda, khaini, talab, pan masala etc and instead save their money until the ongoing conflict is resolved.

Addressing a press conference at Manipur Press Club today, Thawai Meerel convenor Thongam Dara stated that armed Kuki-Chin militants from Myanmar have unleashed violence on the Meitei community for more than four months in their attempt to balkanise the State of Manipur.

Urging the people to understand the situation, he claimed that the main objective of this policy is to bring disunity among the Meitei community.

Therefore, instead of demanding withdrawal of Assam Rifles, he advised people to call upon the relevant authorities to do away with the policy that is allegedly responsible for making the AR side with the Kuki-Chin militants.

Stressing on the severe impact of the crisis on the State economy, Dara also highlighted the rising prices of commodities brought from outside the State.

Under such circumstances, the Meitei people need to inculcate the habit of saving money to be able to make monetary arrangements for efforts to safeguard Manipur.

For this, people should collectively stop spending money on wasteful things, he said.

Suggesting ways to save money and make collective efforts to safeguard Manipur, the Thawai Meerel convenor urged State meira paibis to gather at their local sheds or grounds to discuss ways to develop their localities and also offer some handfuls of rice to pray for the long life of village volunteers every Wednesday.

Furthermore, he suggested that people should make a collective promise to stop consumption of tobacco and other related products brought from outside the State until the conflict is resolved and instead save that money and use it in efforts to safeguard Manipur, he said.

He stated that if 5 lakh people in Manipur spend Rs 50 on imported tobacco products, that amounts to Rs 2.5 crore spent per day.

This means outside States are collecting roughly Rs 75 crore (every month) from the people of Manipur on these products.

In this regard, Thongam Dara also appealed to concerned traders and agents to stop importing such items into the State until the crisis is peacefully resolved.

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