Peace Committee will not restore peace: Ashang Kasar
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 13 2023:
Asserting that the members of the State level Peace Committee should be neutral and exclude members from the 'warring communities', the Forum for Restoration of Peace has declared that the Committee will not succeed in restoring peace in Manipur.
Addressing media persons during a press conference held today at Manipur Press Club, Ashang Kasar, Convenor of the Forum said that for peace to prevail in Manipur, the Committee must exclude the Chief Minister, MLAs and Ministers as its members.
He added that the Forum had mooted the proposal for the formation of a peace committee to the Union Home Minister on June 30 during the latter's visit to the State.
The Forum had proposed that neutral members from the odd 34 ethnic communities must be appointed as members with the Governor as the chairperson while advising against the inclusion of any politicians such as MLAs or Ministers in the Committee.
This would have ensured that the Committee will remain as a "neutral third party", he said.
However this Peace Committee is just "new wine in an old bottle" and tainted politicians who were all in hiding at the peak of violence are now included in the Committee, he rued.
Further, Ashang Kasar expressed shock over the exclusion of the Forum from the Peace Committee while adding that it bears no one ill-will over the matter.
However, he opined that this Peace Committee has left much to be desired and it will not succeed in restoring peace in the State.