"Stop violence within seven days or resign"
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 08 2023:
Khwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee, Imphal organ-ised a women's convention on 'Peace and Normalcy in Manipur' at lboyaima Shu-mang Leela Shanglen, Palace Compound here on Saturday.
During the convention, which was attended by many vendors, it was resolved to launch a campaign to demand MPs, ministers and MLAs to stop the violence within seven days or to resign from their respective posts.
Other resolutions were also adopted during the convection.
They include for Khwairamband Keithel and all other markets in Manipur to unite for restoring peace in the state; launch indefinite campaign of 'Stop War, Stop firing bullets, Bring Peace to Manipur'; ask central gov-ernment to oppose separate administration to groups at-tacking civilians; all markets to merge with Khwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee; and for the ven-dors to support all decisions unanimously taken by bodies engage in the movement.
Speaking on the occasion as a resource person, Manipur University Law faculty HOD Prof Premananda stressed the need for an immediate as well as a long term solution to the prevailing situation.
The im-mediate solution could only entail military crackdown.
Since one community is con-tinuing to use sophisticated weapons, the union home ministry could set a deadline, warning the Kuki militants to surrender with the arms or face military crackdown.
This could serve as the only short term solution.
Second, they should be made to understand that the people do not agree with their demand.
In this, the MLAs play an important role.
So far, none of the MPs and MLAs have fulfilled their responsi-bilities, rendering their ex-istence useless.
As they have failed to fulfil their duties, they need to be reprimanded in addition to asking them to resign from their posts, he said.
Prof Premananda continued that it is the responsibility of the MLAs to help put an end to any violence in a state.
The Kuki militants and the central government are holding talks whereas the weapon-less ci-vilians are dying defending the land.
Civilians should not die if they are protected by the police or Indian army.
MLAs should step out of the comfort zone of distributing some edibles and cash, which they did during the pandem-ic, and instead take over the responsibility for protecting the state from the people.
Unfortunately, Manipur is now like a government-less state without any ministers or MLAs, he remarked.
MU Prof Chinglen Mais-nam, social scientist Dhanabir Laishram, Sanaleibak news editor Hemanta Kumar Nin-gombam, and Kabui Mothers' Association's Ranjita Golmei also spoke during the con-vention as resource persons.