Not anti-Nationals, says MP Sanajaoba
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 21 2025: Categorically stating that village volunteers who came out first to defend unarmed and innocent Meitei people and their properties from the Kuki aggression, titular king and Rajya Sabha Member Leishemba Sanajaoba has asserted that the village volunteers are neither anti-National nor anti-India.

Responding to queries raised by media persons at GP Women's College today where he attended an International Mother Language Day observation, the titular king pointed out that the villager volunteers came forward only to defend their homeland.

In the face of the sudden offensive launched by Kuki militants and their supporters on May 3, 2023 targeting unsuspecting Meitei people and burning down their houses, neither the State forces nor the Central security forces did anything to protect the Meitei people and their properties.

It was this helpless situation of the masses which gave birth to village volunteers, he said.

"During a recent meeting with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, I asked him not to take up any harsh action against the village volunteers.

I suggested the Governor to talk with the village volunteers and bring them to the mainstream through persuasion.

I told the Governor that unleashing brute force or putting them behind bars may result in unwanted consequences.

"The Governor said that he would look into the matter", Leishemba Sanajaoba said.

On being enquired about the crackdown on village volunteers barely 24 hours after Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla asked the village volunteers to surrender their weapons, the Rajya Sabha Member said that such crackdown on village volunteers would not bring any solution.

He also recalled that the mass protest of June 18, 2001 which resulted in huge casualties took place during President's Rule.

If the security forces continue rounding up and arresting village volunteers, the people of Manipur may be forced to raise a collective voice and launch a strong protest movement, Sanajaoba warned.

If the security forces continue the crackdown on village volunteers, there is no guarantee that a strong mass movement like that of June 18, 2001 would not erupt in the State, he said.

The titular king pointed out that the youths did not choose to become village volunteers.

It was the abject failure of the Central Government and the State Government which gave birth to village volunteers, Leishemba said.

It would be wise to think carefully on how to bring back the village volunteers to the mainstream.

In case the village volunteers choose another path, the situation will only get worse, he warned.

Village volunteers are future pillars of the Nation.

The Government must protect them, he continued.

On being enquired about the political unrest seen in Manipur following the resignation of N Biren from the post of Chief Minister, Sanajaoba maintained that he would not like to comment on the situation as a Rajya Sabha Member.

"However, as a citizen of Manipur I would like to say that playing political games under the current situation when all sections of people have been suffering extreme misery is undesirable", he added.

The current situation demands all the ruling MLAs to adopt a common stand and work collectively, Sanajaoba said.

All the BJP legislators need to work collectively in order to form a popular Government in the State at the earliest, he said.

He went on to ask who would be able to pacify the masses if there is a civil uprising in protest against the crackdown on village volunteers during the existing President's Rule.

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