Ibobi raises concern over drug menace
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 08 2023: Expressing serious concern on the ever worsening drug menace despite regular reports of destruction of poppy plantations .in hill areas, former Chief Minister and CLP leader Okram Ibobi has asked if some actors have been scheming to transform Manipur as a big drug manufacturing factory.

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, O Ibobi who served as the Chief Minister of Manipur for three consecutive terms decried that contrary to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remark that Manipur would soon be drug-free, the State is fast becoming a drug manufacturing centre.

Earlier, it was said that contraband drugs and weapons were smuggled into Manipur from Myanmar during the Congress Government, Ibobi said.

He then asked what would happen to the future generations if extensive poppy plantations are promoted and Manipur is transformed into a big factory of contra., and drugs.

Asserting that all sections of the society need to join hands and work collectively in order to eradicate the drug menace, the CLP leader said that the Congress party would take full responsibility in fighting the drug menace even though it is in the Opposition.

Taking serious note of how the military personnel saw and treated Manipuri women, the Congress Government started lifting AFSPA from some parts of the State in spite of strong National Security Studies, said a release issued by PRO of IGAR(S).

The MoU has provided a platform to all stakeholders in Manipur objection from the Central Government, Ibobi said.

Citing the BJP-led Government's repeated claim that the law and order situation has improved considerably and the State is almost free from insurgency, the former Chief Minister asked if the State Government has any misgiving about lifting AFSPA from all over Manipur.

Following installation of the NDA Government at the Centre, the Look East'Policy was re-named as Act East Policy and the special category status given to the North East States was removed.

Now all the States which have limited resources are facing extreme difficulties after the special category status was removed by the NDA Government, Ibobi said.

"We don't know if the Act East Policy has brought any benefit to any section of people", he continued.

Considering the limited resources of the State, the Central Government adopted both Manipur University and RIMS as Central institutions when the Congress party was in power, Ibobi pointed out.

He then asked if there was any problem for Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make an announcement when he visited the State recently to the effect that Churachandpur Medical College and Manipur Cultural University have been adopted by the Centre.

Further questioning the implication of the assertion that students from outside the State are now studying medical courses in Manipur as if there were no such facilities in the State before BJP came to power, Ibobi pointed out that RIMS was set up as a regional institute for all the North Eastern States, barring Assam, which do not have medical institutes of their own.

Many students from out-side the State including south India have been studying medical courses in RIMS from the very beginning, Ibobi said.

Seats were reserved for students who came from outside the State at JNIMS too soon after the institute was given recognition by the Medical Council of India, he said.

NIT Lamphelpat was established during the Congress Government and many nonlocal students are studying at the institute, he added.

He went on to claim that due process for establishment of Churachandpur Medical College was initiated by the Congress Government.

It was the Congress Government which increased the number of beds at Churachandpur district hospital from 100 to 300 but some people have been speaking as if Churachandpur Medical College was the idea and work of BJP alone, Ibobi said.

The Polo Statue inaugurated by Amit Shah at Heingang Ching was sanctioned during the Congress Government in the name of tourism circuit, he added.

MPCC president K Meghhachandra lambasted Amit Shah's statement that the Meitei people of Manipur are descendents of Arjun.

There are ample records and ancient texts which say that Ibudhou Nongda Lairen Pakhangba was the first king of Manipur.

If Amit Shah was saying that Ibudhou Nongda Lairen Pakhangba was a descendent of Arjun, it is nothing but blatant distortion of the history of Manipur, Meghachandra said.

A place called Manipur is mentioned in the Mahabharat but the Mahabharat's Manipur refers to a place located in Odisha not the State of Manipur.

The present State of Manipur existed as Meitrabak or Kangleipak, Meghachandra pointed out.

It is a matter of grave concern that the Union Home Minister was speaking as another Shanti Das Gosai, he said.

He then demanded Amit Shah to tender an apology to the people of Manipur at the earliest.

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