Personally support ST status for Meiteis: RS MP Titular king calls for peaceful co-existence
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 18 2021: Titular king and Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba has called for peaceful co-existence among all the communities of the State.

It has been a constant slogan of the Meitei community that Manipur should never break apart and all the communities should live together peacefully with mutual respect, Leishemba Sanajaoba said.

He was speaking at the opening session of the Langol Tarung Village Foundation Day cum Cultural Festival 2021 today.

The titular king said that the Meiteis always volunteered to mediate when there were communal clashes or confrontations but some people have been playing with the sentiments of Meitei people too often.

In the same breath the MP asserted that he personally supports the demand for granting ST status to Meitei community and added "it looks like the State Government is unable to send the necessary recommendation to the Central Government due to strong pressure from the hill people and ST communities" .

Personally support ST status for Meiteis: RS MP Titular king

Informing that he had talked with Chief Minister N Biren on a temple being set ablaze and dismantling of a bridge which connects to an entry point of Mount Koubru, the MP said that it was not a temple but a temple's godown which was set ablaze.

Quoting Chief Minister N Biren, Sanajaoba said that the Government has identified those people who dismantled the bridge and set ablaze the godown, and befitting action would be initiated against them but the Government would never act on communal line.

If any village is hiding the culprits, the village will be fined and if the village hands over the culprits to the Government, the culprits would be punished according to law, the titular king said quoting the Chief Minister.

As it is time for scaling Mount Koubru and offer prayer to Lord Koubru, a police outpost has been opened atop Koubru peak so as to avert any untoward incident.

Pointing out that the Meiteis have been always thinking and working for the welfare of all communities, the titular king questioned that aggressions and provocations targeted at Meitei community.

The provocations came too often that the younger Meitei generation is no longer tolerant enough to remain silent.

"We have been living together for centuries and there must be peace and mutual respect among all the communities", he asserted.

"I have not yet raised the issue of Indo-Naga peace talks in the Parliament but I have talked with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue two/three times", said the Rajya Sabha MP.

Amit Shah was of the view that Indo-Naga peace talks have been going on for too long and some reasonable demands of NSCN (IM) must be granted, Leishemba Sanajaoba conveyed.

However, Amit Shah was very clear that unreasonable demands like disintegration of Manipur will never see the light of day as long as BJP remains in power and he is the Union Home Minister, he continued.

Demands like homeland, independence and sovereignty will never see the light of day.

Pursuing such aspirations would only create conflicts among different communities who have been living together since ages.

"I have already told the Union Home Minister that division of Manipuri society and its communities who have been living together since ages will not bring anything positive but would spark an unending cycle of violence and unrest", said the titular king.

Tarung village was set up in 1735 .

The village which is now around 286 years old had close connection with the kings of Manipur starting from Maharaj Garibniwas, Leishemba Sanajaoba said.

He then called upon the younger generation to uphold and strengthen this tradition.

Saying that he personally supports the demand for granting ST status to Meitei community, the titular king remarked that it looks like the State Government is unable to send the necessary recommendation to the Central Government due to strong pressure from the hill people and ST communities.

Forest and Environment Minister Awangbow Newmai and MLA Kh Joykisan too attended the function where a souvenir was also released.