Protecting lives, public properties Govt's motto: CM
"A leader who is indecisive when it comes to public interests is useless"
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR
Imphal, August 18 2022:
The state observed Sadbhavana Diwas at the Banquet Hall of 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles, here, on Thursday with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Power minister Thongam Biswajit Singh attending as chief guest and president respectively.
Sadbhavana Diwas is observed every year on August 20 To mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister (Late) Rajiv Gandhi.
However, this year, the Diwas was observed on Thursday even though the exact day falls on Saturday, which is a holiday for Government offices and while August 19 is also a Gazetted holiday on account of Janmashtami festival.
The theme of Sadbhavana is to promote National Integration and Communal Harmony among people of all religions, languages and regions.
The idea behind the observance is to eschew violence and promote goodwill among the people.
Speaking on the occasion, CM N Biren maintained that the motto of the present government is to protect the fives and properties of general public and as such, the government would always work for the welfare of its people, irrespective of communities.
Stating that Manipur is like a mini-India where people of different communities have been residing together for the last many years, he stressed the importance of phasing out all differences and marching forward together to make one Manipur within one India.
Biren then remarked that he would be an incompetent leader if he is unable to make decisions resolutely in the interest of the people on various matters concerning the state.
In a democracy, a decision taken by elected representatives needs the support of the people for successful implementation.
"A good leader is the one who is decisive, impartial and have a long-term vision for the state and its people," he affirmed.
Biren, however, raised concern on exercising the freedom of speech by some people beyond the ambit of the Constitution of India, causing harm to the interest of the general public and creating tension among different communities.
"It is the government's duty to uphold the life and property of the people and as such, it will not remain silent if anyone were to defame, instigate or incite communal hatred, while terming it as freedom of speech arid expression.
Article 19 (1) guarantees freedom of speech, but it must be noted that Article 19 (2) limits the above, prohibiting making of any defamatory statements or statements which are against morality.
If any organisation acts fanatically and makes statements to incite communal hatred, a Cabinet decision could be taken and legal action initiated immediately," he stated.
The CM then appealed to the public to refrain from such activities and asked them to come up with their grievances in the right forum and through their elected representatives so that it could be solved at the earliest.
Stating that the objective of observing the Sadbhavana Diwas is to promote National Integration and Communal Harmony; the Chief Minister expressed that upholding the same is extremely important for a country like India, which is resided by different communities.
He further expressed his desire to make the observance more meaningful with every citizen following its basic theme of Sadbhavana in a real sense.
He then appreciated the visit by Naga People's Organisation, Senapati at the CM Secretariat on Wednesday to talk about the Barak Festival, alongside other bodies, NGOs and organisations which are assisting the government in the development of the state.
Mentioning that the state's achievement in different sectors is due to prevalence of peace and support of the people, the CM expressed happiness that the public have begun to actively participate in the development works of the government.
This shows the true meaning of democracy with people's participation in governance, he added.
Recently, NPO inspected the bus stop for Manipur State Transport in Dimapur and suggested for renewed construction to prevent loss of the state's land.
As such, the transport minister and NPO representatives will be consulted with so as to commence the work, he conveyed.
In his speech, Power/Forest & Environment minister Thongam Biswajit stated that the main objective behind the observance of Sadbhavana Diwas is to promote National Integration and Communal Harmony among the people and to refrain from any form of violence.
On the occasion, he recalled the distinctive thoughts and ideals of former PM (L) Rajiv Gandhi and added that the latter had always worked for peaceful co-existence among different communities and for making a strong united India during his dynamic leadership.
He became the youngest PM to serve the country at the age of 40 years and went on to lead the country with his unique thinking methods and innovative ideas.
He then said that the state government under the leadership of CM N Biren Singh has always worked to bring equal development in both hill and valley areas through various initiatives.
The government has left no stone unturned to bridge the gap in development across the state and to maintain the age-old relationship among different communities, he added.
The minister stressed that misunderstanding and mistrust arising among the communities could be redressed through political dialogues, which is imperative for maintaining a healthy relationship and ensure peaceful co-existence.
During the observance, the CM led the other dignitaries and officials in taking the solemn pledge to work for emotional oneness and harmony of all the people of India regardless of caste, region, religion or language.
The pledge further read to resolve all differences through dialogue and constitutional means without resorting to violence.
Cabinet ministers, member of parliament, members of legislative assembly, chief secretary, DGP and senior civil and police officials also attended the programme among others.
Artistes of Shri Shri Bal Mukunda Dev Government Music College, Imphal performed the opening and closing songs of the observance.
Comment
