AMUCO condoles death of student protester
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 11 2015 :
All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) has expressed deep grief and sorrow on Saturday over the death of Sapam Robinhood during ILP protest on July 8 and lauded his family for standing firm.
In a statement AMUCO General Secretary T Gandhi Meetei stated that the outpouring ILP movement in Manipur is now heading on thin ice, but the Congress ministers and MLAs are refusing to take the issue seriously.
AMUCO strongly protests against the Government crackdown on the indigenous people who are struggling hard for a genuine cause to protect themselves, the statement said.
Life of one student was snubbed out, many others were left hurt and still the police are intensifying crackdown against protesters who are demanding an effective Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) to regulate the influx of non-locals into Manipur, it regretted.
T Gandhi Meetei said the Government should rather find out the exact circumstances leading to the flurry of public protest and the subsequent embarrassing situation instead of its concentrated effort to restrain it by using forces.
The Government should work out a political solution to the current imbroglio, the AMUCO leader stressed.
The statement said the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill 2015 aims at looking after the non-locals and that the bill lacks any specific provision to protect the indigenous people.
The real objective of the bill is not acceptable to the people and so it is clearly visible in the current protest, it insisted.
AMUCO declared that the remarks of Home Minister Gaikhangam, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, that the police did not commit any blunder during the incident of July 8 which killed Sapam Robinhood and injured several student protesters, should never be forgiven.
The Home Minister should tender a public apology for his apathetic statement, it demanded.
The organization also urged the public to continue with the ILP protest until and unless the demand is met by the Government.