MP Bimol likens Manipur to 'shattered mirror'
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 07 2025: Describing the present state of Manipur as a "shattered mirror held only by its frame", Lok Sabha MP Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam on Monday said that piecing the broken parts will not help and instead called for replacing the broken mirror with a new one to rebuild the state.

He made the remark during a felicitation programme organised in his honour by Manipur Government Services Federation (MGSF) and Manipur State Pensioners' Union (MSPU) at MSPU office at Pishumthong.

The event was presided over by MSPU president Dr M Rajendra and attended by members of both organisations.

MP Bimol likens Manipur to 'shattered mirror'

Addressing the gathering, Dr Bimol lamented that the recent unrest in the state has destroyed livelihoods and severely impacted the state's economy.

He noted that Manipuris are found across the world and many are job providers, highlighting how globalisation has turned the world into a village or a cell.

However, the ongoing crisis has reversed much of that progress, he said.

Stressing that there is no need to politicise the suffering caused by the conflict, the MP said that blaming the BJP or Congress will not help.

"People are expressing their resentment through criticism of political parties, but that should not be mistaken as hostility.

Congress and BJP are not enemies but political competitors," he said, adding that it is wrong to label those who oppose the ruling party as anti-national.

He said that all political parties must have the ideology to work together in issues concerning national interest, and recalled that in earlier times, Manipur had seen delegations comprising all political parties visiting Delhi in search of solutions.

However, this time, the state failed to build a consensus to send an all-party delegation, which he termed as unfortunate.

Dr Bimol said that whichever party is in power, whether it is Congress or BJP, it must focus on addressing the state's crisis rather than looking for opportunities to blame previous governments.

If both parties continue to engage in blame games, people will see no difference between them, he said.

The priority of any government should be to uphold the state's integrity and act against lawlessness and economic decline, during their rule, maintained the parliamentarian.

Calling the Meetei community the backbone of the state among the state's indigenous communities, the MP said that the crisis the community is facing is of grave concern.

Though Manipur remains as an Indian state, it is like a broken mirror barely held together.

The solution, he said, is not in patchwork repairs but in building a new Manipur based on unity and long-term vision.

Dr Bimol further said that the people must use the crisis as an opportunity to correct historical mistakes and work collectively for a better future.

By making clarion calls for unity and integrity, Meeteis are not asking for sympathy or support but calling for collective welfare of all communities, he said.

He also assured assistance for repairing the MSPU office building and encouraged pensioners to see retirement as a new chapter in life, not a cause for despair.

MGSF president L Sharat said that the felicitation was not a political event but an expression of the people's satisfaction at having a well-educated and courageous MP representing Manipur in Parliament, which has been a long-cherished dream of the people.