Leaders should be able make own decisions, says Meira Paibi leader
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 20 2023:
Without naming any person in particular, influential Meira Paibi leader Ima Lourembam Nganbi has said that legislators who can't act on their own and always wait for the instructions from the India Government are a burden to the State and not leaders.
She continued that the State Government shouldn't consider the conflict in Manipur to be finished until all Meiteis who fled persecution from Moreh, Churachandpur, Torbung etc are resettled and rehabilitated.
L Nganbi, who is the president of All Manipur Kanba Ima Lup (AMKIL), made the statements during a meeting organised by Thawai Meerel at Singjamei Wangma Bheigyabati Leikai.
It would be very wrong to assume that the violence in Manipur is over by only seeing the situation in Imphal, she said and added that true meira paibis of the State will not accept such an observation.
Rehabilitation and resettlement of the displaced people to their native places is a major part of the peace process whenever there is conflict and the same is accepted globally, she said and added that the meira paibis should no longer listen to the State Government and its leaders who can't stand up against the Indian Government despite all the wrongdoings.
If the violence is over then why are the displaced Meitei people from Moreh, Churachandpur, Torbung, Serou, Napat, Tangjeng, Leimakhong etc are not able to return to their homes, L Nganbi maintained and added that instances of Kuki narco-terrorists burning houses and gangraping a Meitei woman is still very fresh in the mind of the people.
Do the meira paibis who have been fighting for the cause of the State for decades have to admit that violence in Manipur is over simply because the Chief Minister and some MLAs said so, L Nganbi asked and claimed that the violence in Manipur escalated because of the lack of commitment among some legislators.
Claiming that Meiteis were attacked for standing against poppy plantations and encroachment on protected and reserved forest areas, she claimed that the Manipur Government only waiting for the instruction from the Centre to act, especially during this difficult time is very upsetting for the entire indigenous people of the State.
She asked if the Indian Government takes assistance from Kuki militants and immigrants from Myanmar for geopolitics and other factors.
It is the divide and rule policy of the successive Indian Governments which gives Kukis the power to challenge Meiteis and the other indigenous people, L Nganbi claimed.
Meiteis never envy the land of others nor do they want to be in bad blood with any community, the AMKIL president said and claimed that the Meiteis, however, were provoked to fight back after seeing all the horrific crimes committed against their people.
She said that there is no reason why Meiteis can't win this 'war' if the people are united.
Several women victims of the ongoing violence also attended the meeting.