Ready to talk with UGs: Ravi
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 19 2016: Humani-tarian, spiritual leader, ambassador of peace and founder of the Art of Living Foundation Shri Shri Ravi Shankar said he is ready to talk with insurgent and underground groups of Manipur to bring peace and prosperity in the State.

"I would like to initiate the dialogue as an individual (independent) person but not as an instrument of the Govt," Ravi Shankar said.

The statement was made public today at Hotel Imphal at a press conference where he talked on his attempts to bring development and prosperity through peace.

Ravi Shankar stated that there are 50 different insurgent groups representing different ethnic groups of the State with their own cause to bring development and prosperity.

Young, independent thinkers, talented, intellectual youths of the soil are toiling in the forest for sovereignty.

But the paradigm has shifted from independence to interdependence for mutual development and it is evident in European countries, he added.

Prosperity can only be brought where there is interdependence between the people.

"The youth who are fighting for the cause of the State should understand the present day paradigm shift.

It is not only sovereignty that can bring peace and prosperity but interdependence," Ravi Sankar said.

For peace and prosperity to prevail in the State there should be equal opportunities for each and every one, mutual respect, social justice and empowerment from different angles.

The youths should have their share of say in different platforms including regional or national, he suggested.

He added that lack of good infrastructure and communication could be one of the many reasons of indifferent attitude towards different communities which leads to mistrusts.

Lack of employment and coordinated communication is also another reason for the State of having so many insurgent groups.

The youths of Manipur are vibrant and energetic with many talents in different fields and it needs to be channelized in the right direction for the peace and prosperity to return, he said.

He appealed to the youth of Manipur who are striving for a cause of the people to channelize their leadership and willingness to sacrifice in the right way as such committed leaders are what we need right now.

He stated that he dreams to see prosperity, 100 percent literacy, zero percent unemployment and a clean and green Manipur.

"We can achieve such feat only when the potential of the youths are channelized in the right way" .

"Together we can achieve a lot and we can be together when the differences are removed and there is dialogue among us.

I would be grateful if I could bridge the differences," he added.

When asked what modalities can be used to bring the insurgent groups to mainstream, he said that there is trust deficit on both sides- the insurgents and the Govt.This gap needs to be plugged through dialogue, he suggested.

Other steps to bring welfare to the people of Manipur are to create opportunity for the educated youths by providing skill development programmes and centres across the State.

He stated that the 20-50 seats for Manipuri students will be reserved in MBA, BBA, Architecture and other courses in Odisha University.

Further he stated that steps to upgrade the existing school run by the Art of Living will be taken up.

Ways to improve the living conditions of the surrendered insurgent groups will also be taken up, he added.

Herbal collection centres set up in the State currently employ seven youths and the centre will employ more than 70 youths in due course of time, he said.

Further Happiness Centre will be instituted for a stress free Manipuri society.

Like Sikkim, Manipur can be declared as an organic State and provide employment opportunity to the unemployed youth, he added.

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