Shah's Mahabharata remark draws flak
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 17 2023:
Many civil society organisations and political parties condemned and disapproved Amit Shah's remark of terming Manipuris as descendants of Arjuna of the Mahabharata epic and demanded withdrawal of the statement.
Terming Shah's statement made during a public function held in Moirang on January 6 as wrong and malicious, Senior Citizens for Society said that its executive committee discussed the Union home minister's remark and denounced it as wrong and misleading.
The executive committee meet held on January 15 also resolved that Amit Shah's statement should be withdrawn and urged the chief minister of Manipur to take the matter seriously and initiative steps to pacify public outrage.
Communist Party of India, Manipur State Council also strongly condemned Amit Shah's statement and demanded clarification from Amit Shah as well as Manipur government's silence on the issue when civil society organisations and experts are demanding apology for making the misleading remark.
According to a CPI statement, party's state executive convened a meet on Januaryl6 and discussed the statement made by Amit Shah who linked the present state of Manipur with the one mentioned in the Mahabharata.
Those present in the meeting at Irawat Bhawan were unanimous that the main objective of BJP government is to make Hinduism as the sole religion of people of the country and the BJP government is working at the advice of RSS to achieve this goal despite India being a secular nation.
The misleading remark made by Amit Shah recently was a part of Hindunisation of Manipur and attempt to forcibly accept people of Manipur as descendants of Arjuna of Mahabharata, it said, adding that the meeting also had a thorough discussion on how the then king and some of his cohorts named Manipur in the 18th century.
Meanwhile, Meetei Eepa Eepu Laining Lechat Errup, Khurai asserted that neither is the present Manipur state the Manipur of Mahabharata nor people of Manipur descendants of Arjuna, Chitrangada or Babhruvahana of Mahabharata.
It said that Manipur was earlier known as Kangleipak and there is clear history about the present Manipur state named only after the king and some people fol lowed Hinduism.
However, repeated attempts had been made to distort the history of Manipur formerly known as Kangleipak, the Lup said and strongly called for stopping any attempt to distort history.