Govt failure reason for youths taking up arms: Prof Bimol
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 04 2024:
The government cannot turn on the village volunteers and threaten them so as to cover up its failures.
Some could go as far as to say, "We are the ones in power and the ones to save you if anyone tries to have you arrested by NIA" .
This would be the most unfortunate, Indian National Congress (INC) candidate professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has stated.
Speaking in one of the 'meet and greet mothers (vendors)' programmes on Thursday, Bimol highlighted that one wrong step amid the prevailing situation of the state could impede all from ever getting up again.
He continued that history is witness to bravery and courage of Manipuri women, the role they play in the economic, social and all other aspects of the state.
The women of Manipur have stood up against all threats, he commended.
Stating that one must sweep own courtyard instead of interfering in other's business, he called for collective effort to prevent disintegration of Manipur while asserting that the people cannot continue to be oppressed under the guise of money and threats, one of the driving forces for his decision to contest the polls.
Recounting the pleas of a widow, whose husband died while defending the integrity of the state, to be the "last woman to be widowed", Bimol attributed the same to the courage, bravery and patriotism of a Meetei woman.
Patriotism is not about shouting via a microphone or just defending the state, but also the courage to overcome one's loss and still continue to uphold the patriotic spirit, he expressed.
Bimol then raised suspicion of the government's possible attempts to turn on or threaten the village volunteers so as to cover up its failures.
In this regard, the mothers need to be vigilant.
Further speculating that some could go on to say that they are the only ones who could save the village volunteers from getting slapped with NIA arrests, the INC candidate said that the youth were compelled to come forward to protect the state after the government failed to do so.
In the future, the youth are going to be arrested on charges of possession of firearms, illegal activities, etc., cases of which we are already seeing at present.
Even the individuals in talks with the government are being arrested, he said, while adding it is the womenfolk who would be the one to save the village, volunteers of the state.
Affirming his stand to stand by the village volunteers if elected, Bimol assured to make it clear that the youth, who were forced to take up arms due to the failure < f the government, are not arrested under the law.