Formulate restoration policy for displaced people
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 14 2023:
Restoration Manipur has drawn the attention of the state government into formulating some kind of long-term rehabilitation and restoration policy for all those who have been displaced by the on-going violence in Manipur.
Addressing a press meet held at Manipur Press Club here Monday, Restoration Manipur, Khurai general secretary Kangleikhomba Kondam said that the first and foremost step of the government should be to restore peace in Manipur.
The displaced people will not like to live in the temporary shelters, he said, and stressed the need for formulating long-term rehabilitation and restoration policy at the earliest.
In addition, an appropriate package should be sanctioned soon.
He continued that if the displaced people cannot return to their original homes, it is a, sign of failure to restore peace and normalcy in the state.
Furthermore, no legal action should be taken up against the village volunteers who have taken up arms to guard their respective villages.
If they did not volunteer to guard their villages, the situation would have been much worse in the valley.
Instead, the Home department should discuss whether they could be recruited, he suggested.
Kangleikhomba urged the government to reopen NH-2, while questioning the whereabouts of the 60,000 central forces deployed by the centre to the state.
It would be impossible to usher in peace without reopening the highways and also without putting an end to narco-terrorism, which is a huge threat to the existence of Manipur.
He then appealed to the Kuki MLAs to participate in the upcoming session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 21 .
Strongly condemning the gang rape of Meitei woman by Kuki militants during the conflict, he questioned why the government is unable to punish the culprits involved till date.
When a video of two women being paraded naked went viral, everyone condemned and protested the incident and even went on to set fire to one of accused person's house.
However, when a Meitei woman was gang rape, the Kuki sections have not uttered a single word, which is highly condemnable.
Thus, he urged the government to find and arrested the culprit(s) involved at the earliest.