MLA shares thought
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 23 2015 : Demands for separate States or homelands and Naga integration which may disintegrate Manipur must be dropped immediately, said Congress MLA RK Anand.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a zero garbage management cum tree plantation drive held on the banks of Waishel canal in his Naoriya Pakhanglakpa Constituency today.

The programme was organised by All Manipur Unorganised Workers' Union.

The MLA cautioned that all the leaders who have developed the 'game plan' of disintegrating Manipur must stop their divisive activities immediately.

The MLA observed that nobody must do anything which is detrimental to the territorial integrity of Manipur, where hill and valley people have been residing harmoniously since the past many centuries.

He opined that there would be no Manipur if every locality demands separate States or homelands adding that such demands must be challenged collectively by the people of the State.

Although, there must be Constitutional safeguards for every ethnic community, major community of the State has been facing different threats as India Government could not fully fulfil the points which were allegedly mentioned in the merger agreement, the MLA said.

As such the three Bills were rightly passed as the Bills would provide a Constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of the State and the Bills do not have any point which may infringe upon the rights or interest of tribal people, he elaborated.

It is unfortunate that some section of people are still protesting against the three Bills although the Government has been repeatedly making appeals to them to come to the negotiating table to correct the mistakes, if any, the MLA said.

It is not logical to make a furore in the hill areas pressing the Government to introduce separate administrations for hill areas, he said.

RK Anand also said that he is ready to debate with anybody who thinks that the present agitation in hill areas is justifiable.

The MLA also said that no Central Government representative came to Manipur when valley people erupted in mass protest demanding a Constitutional safeguard.

However, the Central Government has sent the Special Secretary of Union Ministry of Home Affairs to look into the present agitation in hill areas, he said.

Saying that the Central Government must never encourage the demands for separate States or homelands, RK Anand said that the State Government must convey the same to the visiting Special Secretary.

He said that the people of Manipur must understand why Meitei people have been maintaining calm although they have experienced different forms of atrocities including extortion, looting, thrashing and killing of drivers out by NSCN (IM) cadres.

He also asked the outfit to stop demanding Naga integration through gun power and stop putting in efforts to disintegrate Manipur.

Demanding the outfit to leave the small communities alone, RK Anand also said that the major community of the State is unhappy with the diktats imposed on small communities by NSCN (IM) .

He also urged all the people residing in Manipur to live together in the State as Manipuris.

RK Anand also said that it is now high time for all the intellectuals and leaders of different tribal communities to put in efforts to resolve the issue.

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