Tripura Manipuri bodies decry 'fallacious' convention
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 13 2023:
Manipuri Council, Tripura and Tripura Manipuri Student-Youth Coordination Committee (TMSYCO) raised objection over the manner in which the '1st All Tripura Manipuri Convention-2023' held at Kumaritila BT College on February 10 was converted into a political rally, thus painting colour of a particular political party on the entire Manipuri population in Tripura.
In a joint statement signed by Manipuri Council Tripura general secretary K Dhirendra and TMSYCO general secretary S Bimal, the two bodies informed that chief ministers of both Manipur and Tripura along with several other ministers, MLAs and state and national leaders of BJP were present at the event.
However, it is unfortunate that ahead of the state assembly polls of Tripura, the convention was turned into an election rally of BJP.
In the convention, the so-called Manipuri leaders raised the slogan of 'BJP Zindabad' and made a pledge for the entire Manipuri community of Tripura to support the party in the ensuing assembly elections.
The statement also alleged that the organisers brought some film stars and singers from Manipur to entertain and attract the innocent common Tripura Manipuris, which it termed as a political agenda to bring or sustain a particular political party in power and gather them in the convention.
By taking the pledge to vote for BJP in the ensuing assembly elections, an attempt has been made to make the entire Manipuri community of Tripura a 'friendly society' of BJP, which sent out a wrong message to the Manipuri community of Tripura, resulting in an adverse reactions.
Decrying the motive of the convention, the two bodies questioned the organisers who gave them the right to express political opinion about the entire Manipuri society, and who gave them the right to sell the entire Manipuri society as supporters to a particular political party.
Despite the low population and backward socio-economic conditions, the Manipuris in Tripura are still proud of their culture and traditions.
They never surrender their self-esteem to any particular political party.
Like other backward communities in Tripura, the Manipuri community continues to struggle democratically for their constitutional rights, the statement said, while adding that the two bodies were formed through state level public conventions and they have been continuously fighting for the rights of Manipuris in Tripura for more than a decade.
Unfortunately, in the name of 'Manipuri Convention' organised by a handful of vested interested individuals ahead of the state assembly election with direct support from a particular political party, an attempt to pollute the normal democratic environment by maligning the Manipuri society in front of the entire state was made, the statement added.
Condemning the convention and its resolution, the statement said that the political decisions made in the convention have nothing to do with the Manipuri community in Tripura.
It also informed that the bodies wholeheartedly welcome sincere cooperation of the Manipur government for the overall welfare of Manipuris in Tripura.
However, the party leadership and functionaries have no right to mislead the Manipuris in Tripura with their political agenda in this way.
It further appealed to the political leaderships to desist from all such activities and requested the Manipuri community in Tripura to identify the handful of self-interested political brokers and stay away from them.
It further urged the Manipuris in the state to exercise their constitutional rights by considering the larger interest and welfare of the Manipuri society, and make their decision independently in the ensuing state assembly elections.
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