MP Lorho warns against twisting truth, history
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang
Ukhrul, August 28 2023:
Manipur Outer MP Dr Lorho S Pfoze has said that 'peaceful coexistence' is the first casualty when truth and history of any of the communities residing in the state is manipulated by anyone.
"Truth will always remain truth.
Truth will always prevail and cannot be manipulated.
What was true hundred years ago cannot suddenly become untrue today; what is true today cannot be wrong yesterday or tomorrow," MP Dr Lorho said, while interacting with media persons in Ukhrul town recently.
"When you try to concoct history and manipulate truth that has got a lot to play in this type of unhappiness," he said, referring to the long-standing communal conflict in the state.
He added that conflicts are bound to happen when people fail to base their narratives on truth.
"This is the very fact that I would like to stress when people try to relate their own selves and when we say "this is that, that is that" and begin to manipulate truth, then that becomes a problem," he conveyed, adding that the point of debate or confrontation comes when people move away from the truth.
"And this is one factor that I have seen it happening in our present situation," he observed.
He continued that irrespective of communities; be it Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis or Pangals, people must know and realise that the very fact that "we are living together in harmony for years is only because of some truth we are basing on".
Warning against conflicts in the face of distorting truth, the MP appealed to all the people to come back on truth and be truthful about history and all the narratives derived from it.
Commenting on the much debated topic of original and indigenous peoples of the state, MP Dr Lorho said, "Yes, some people say that the Meiteis come from somewhere else, and so do the Nagas, Kukis and Pangals.
It's a fact that when the earth was created, we were not here.
We all came from somewhere else" .
He, however, added that those who first came and dwelt here become the natives and that history cannot be manipulated" .
He also made a strong point of sustaining a peaceful coexistence in the state when he stated, "We understand when we say that some other people came later.
We agree to the fact that they have come and will live with us as good neighbours" .
Dr Lorho then highlighted the importance of collective honesty and open dialogue in order to reach an understanding and consensus on truth.
He noted that truth is the foundation of all good relationships and everyone has to trust each other if meaningful progress is to be made.
The MP also shared about a peace mission jointly initiated by him along the Inner Manipur MP Dr RK Ranjan Singh to bring about peace in the state at the soonest.
"I think, unless we realise this, and we start some confrontations that will not be good.
When we talk about Manipur in present context which has more than 3000 years old history, all these present conflicts are our future from hence and how we will forge into the future," he said, while adding that this was something everyone must really understand.
In the case of the ongoing communal violence, the MP pointed out, "The Nagas have decided to be neutral but the fact that United Naga Council (UNC) has issued its own statements as well as various other Naga organisations means the Nagas have always made their stand right from the beginning and this is where they are only re affirming their stand" .
"Probably this is happening at this time like today.
I think there is no apprehension about the Nagas taking sides or working against any other communities.
It would be a wrong way of observing it," he said.
The MP was recently in town to attend the just concluded three-day 30th NSF General Conference held at Ukhrul public ground.
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