Mending the cracks
- Imphal Times Editorial :: April 13 2017 -

Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren’s visit to Ukhrul district head quarters along with his ministerial team can be considered a step towards creating a peaceful environment among the various community of the state.

The bold step is indeed the first step to mend the cracks that has been existed between the government of Manipur and those communities settling in the remote part of the state.

May be with the instigation of certain group, which believe in their own ideology the state of Manipur had witness souring relationships between the government of Manipur and various ethnic communities particularly the Tangkhul and the Mao communities.

There was no meeting point with any of the agitating communities with the government of Manipur in the last one decade.

Any settlement or demand were never directly apprised to the ruling state government but instead directly submitted to the Central government, as they ultimately preferred an alternative arrangement for sections of community for they don’t trust the government anymore.

Well, a new government has replaced the former, and in 15 days of governance, the new Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren had spend sleepless night to mend the cracks between the various communities of the state besides trying to run a transparent corruption free state.

Love and respect shown to Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh and his Ministerial team during his visit at Ukhrul district yesterday showed that, differences may exist but there is still love for blood related brothers and sisters can never be wipe out from the heart of any individual.

Manipur being a multi ethnic state, certainly should have political differences with the growth of the population.

It is human desire that each community wanted to preserve its identity and culture. And such phenomenon existed only at a time when the minority community felt that they are being deprived.

Similar is the case with the state of Manipur. Manipuri felt that the India forcibly annexed the erstwhile kingdom and they fear the lost of our identity by waging war agasint the government.

When Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) submitted a memorandum urging the Chief Minister to support in solving the 70 years old conflict betwen the Naga (NSCN-IM) and the Government of India, people of the state should appreciate the TNL.

The two other demand put up by the TNL is the revocation of the creation of the 7 new districts as well as to stop militarization in the area.

If the suspected influences by NSCN-IM is kept sideline for some times, the demands are quit genuine.

Over 1000s had been killed in the GOI-NSCN-IM conflict, many still are haunted by the atrocities committed by the military in the name of controlling insurgent.

And government fails to properly make understand the purpose of creating new districts.

The only Thing need to be appreciated is that this time The Tangkhul body submitted the memorandum to the Chief Minister of Manipur. Which means the cracks once seen has been mended.

As the relationship once more restored every posible means to reached out all the citizens of the states particularly those settling in the remote interior region to make them understand that Manipur is for all of us.