Bills are for indigenous people : Rose Mangshi
Two minute silence observed for CCpur victims
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 08 2015: All the participants of the two-day political dialogue on 'Present Political Scenario in Manipur' held since yesterday at Kuki Inn here under the aegis of the National Research Centre (NRC) Manipur observed silence for two minutes in honour of the nine people killed in Churachandpur public agitation.

Speaking at the gathering, Kuki Mothers' Association president Rose Mangshi stressed the need to reform the existing political system in order to bring good governance in the State.

She suggested re-introduction of ballot papers in place of electronic voting machines in order to bring about transparency during election of people's representatives.

The three Bills passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 31 were basically for the welfare of all the communities of Manipur.

A speaker at the political dialogue

All the people of the State, particularly the hill people should introspect and understand that the three Bills were not meant for only the Meiteis and Pangals settled in the valley, Rose Mangshi said.

Hill people should understand that the three Bills encompass all the indigenous people of Manipur.

Once the country's railway network reaches the State, a serious demographic imbalance would be created not only in the valley but also in all the hill areas of Manipur.

Enforcement of Inner Line Permit System or a similar mechanism is not in the interest of any particular community, she asserted.

She further called upon all the people to elect only efficient and dedicated representatives in the Manipur Legislative Assembly election which is due in 2017 in order to give a new direction to the present political scenario of the State.

Former Minister RV Mingthing said that all the communities of the State can be united if all the people understand the history of Manipur.

There were no separate categories like Scheduled Tribe or Scheduled Caste.

All the people of the State were living together without any form of segregation, he observed.

Only love and mutual respect can bind the hills and valley of Manipur and collective understanding of the common history can be a very effective tool towards this end, Mingthing asserted.

The distinct identity of Manipur can be safeguarded only through unification of the hills and the valley.

Inter-dependence and frequent dialogues can be a key to restoring hill-valley unity, Mingthing asserted.

UCM president E Johnson maintained that all the untoward incidents could have been avoided had the people understood history of Manipur.

If there is a genuine republic, hill people should have the capacity to elect their representatives without any sense of fear or insecurity.

All the people need to understand the genuine issues of the State and fight back all the subversive and disruptive activities engineered by a handful of people, Johnson said.

While remarking that the Manipuri society is presently passing through a chaotic phase, AMUCO president Dr Y Mani highlighted the growing need to foster closer ties among all the communities in order to lay a strong foundation for a progressive society.

Senior Advocate Ng Tejkumar who moderated the discussion programme stated that extra attention should be given to smaller communities of the State and their welfare rather than marginalising them.

All the small communities should be allowed to protect their own identities and they should be given equal share of development opportunities, Tejkumar added.