Veteran politician Joy quits BJP
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 30 2018:
Citing indifference of the BJP-led Central and State Governments to such critical issues like loss of Manipur's territory due to erection of border pillars, palpable threats to the integrity of the State and the protracted Manipur University crisis, veteran politician Okram Joy has quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking to media persons at his Kakwa residence today, O Joy announced that he has parted ways with the BJP.
He said that he submitted his resignation letter today after BJP Langthabal Mandal was disbanded yesterday.
Notably, O Joy was not only an executive member of BJP Manipur Pradesh but was also a spokesman of the party.
The 76 year old veteran politician said that amalgamation of politics with religion under the NDA regime has aggravated repression of poor masses, women and children.
In the name of preventing cow slaughter, lynching of Dalits and other minorities have become the order of the day, and lawlessness has become a law in the country, he said.
Even though no such case of victimisation and subjugation of minorities has been witnessed in Manipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Achhe Din Aane Waale Hain slogan has only brought extensive misery and social turmoil in the State.
The previous NDA Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the present one led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have vast differences, Joy remarked.
Before leaving India, British rulers stated, "Indians would not get justice from the hands of other Indians".
Now, under Narendra Modi's NDA Government, it seems people of smaller States like Manipur are experiencing what the British colonial rulers prognosticated more than 70 years back.
Joy expressed both displeasure and surprise at the Government of India's attempt to extend Article 371(A) to Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh as a subsequent development of the Framework Agreement.
The idea of extending Article 371(A) to the three States is a ploy to create a State within a State even though the boundaries of the existing States are not affected.
It is rather surprising that the NDA Government came up with the idea of extending Article 371(A) given the fact that BJP has been fighting against according special status to any community or group for the past many decades, Joy remarked.
Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, one of BJP's founding leaders, was at the forefront of the sustained agitation against according special status to Jammu & Kashmir under Article 371 .
He was arrested and imprisoned by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, and he died inside prison mysteriously, Joy said.
There is no objection to recognition of the Naga history by the BJP-led Government.
But it is a matter of grave concern that the NDA Government seems to have no respect for the well known historical facts of Manipur like the Khongjom War against British imperialism, the hoisting of Indian National flag at Moirang for the first time even before India achieved independence etc, Joy rued.
Manipur University VC Prof AP Pandey is very close to some leaders of the Central Government and these leaders seem determined to retain Prof Pandey as the VC at the cost of Manipur University and thousands of students, he alleged.
At the same time, the State Government has been shirking from its responsibility claiming that they have no authority to intervene into the affairs of MU, Joy continued.
In spite of such outrageous attempts to project students 'and teachers of Manipur University as anti-Nation and MU as a den of insurgents, a 35-member delegation of BJP Manipur Pradesh which included the Chief Minister and the Rajya Sabha MP stood helplessly at New Delhi, unable to say a single word, Joy decried.
He pointed out.
that colleges affiliated to Manipur University are colleges of the State even though MU is a Central university.
Moreover, there are other burning issues like the border pillar row, Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and the demand for 7th Pay.
The veteran politician said that he quit BJP to fight all these issues independently together with the people.
"My resignation from BJP has nothing to do with fighting or staying away from elections", he added.
Comment
