Former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, on Tuesday asserted that Manipur State’s territorial integrity cannot be compromised for any organisation whether valley based or hill based and that the government should mind it when trying to resolve the issue permanently.
Addressing a press conference at AICC Hq in New Delhi, New Delhi, the senior congress leader while highlighting the present scenario in Manipur where thousands are in relief camps living in poor conditions with minimum facilities, accused the BJP government of disregarding the displaced people.
“Being a citizen of this country, they can’t stay there,” he stated.
Ibobi, who was chief minister for 20 years, said that he did not know what hidden agenda the BJP government at the Centre and the State have but whatever that may be, he appealed them to save the people of Manipur.
He stated that the people of Manipur had hoped that officials from Centre would rush to the violence ridden State after 10 May when the campaigning in Karnataka ended but that did not happen. “… only yesterday Home Minister Amit Shah rushed to Delhi only in the evening he came to Manipur,” he said.
He mentioned that the Congress party had on Monday submitted a memorandum to the President of India. He also appealed for help from President Murmu, Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in particular.
“Please help us, save Manipur,” Ibobi pleaded.
He also informed that the Manipur Congress has shared a request letter for meeting with Amit Shah to appraise him of the realities.
Ibobi reminded of a similar incident that took place in the State in 2001 when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and LK Advani was the Deputy Prime Minister who was in charge of home. In what is known as the 2001 June uprising, 21 people died and many accounted for in violence resulting from the ceasefire agreement between the Naga insurgent groups and Government of India.
“…. after 21 years it is happening again,” the former CM said.
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