Imphal, July 24: Former Minister of the Manipur Government RV Mingthing calls on the need for reconciliatory approach to bridge the hill-valley divide at time of articulating any political demands.
Speaking on the inaugural session of a 5-Day Public dialogue on Protection of Indigenous People of Manipur, organized by the National Research Centre, Manipur and Dean of Students Welfare, Manipur University at MU Centenary Hall today, the veteran Manipuri leader, RV Mingthing also highlighted on the need to come out of the cocoon and instead of confining in the state.
“ The need of the hour is to bridge the Hill-Valley divide”, Mingthing said expressing apprehension to the recent crisis like situation arises out of the political demand for protection of the Indigenous people of the state.
He further appealed the people to sort out the differences and instead of confining in the cocoon like state and people need to think larger.
“I advocate for a pan North East while articulating any political demands, since Indigenous Northeasterners are one people belonging to the same racial stock.
The 5 day public dialogue was attended by Prof. Dhaneshwor (Dept. of Chemistry, Manipur University, Prof. N. Mohilal (Dean of Sudents’ Welfare, Manipur University) and Haobam Sanajaoba (Chairman, National Research Centre, Manipur) beside Veteran Manipuri leader RV Mingthing.
Sunilkanta Sanasam, Secretary General, National Research Centre, Manipur University, in his keynote highlighted that Manipur is known by various names in its various phases of history started experiencing the problem of demographic imbalance with the large scale influx of migrants following the integration of merger to India. With it the demographic onslaught of immigrant population had seriously impacted the cultural, socio-economic and geo-political structure of the land. The threat it posed is not only to one particular community but to all the indigenous people of Manipur. Protection of indigenous people should therefore be the fundamental concern and common issue of all the indigenous community people of Manipur. At such a juncture where the political leadership of the state had terribly in this concern, if by bringing this issue at the forefront in the public domain, and with a broad based discussion and collective effort were able to have fruitful discussion and arrive at some recommendations, the purpose of organising this seminar will considered to be served, he stated.
Prof. N. Mohilal, while terming Manipur as ‘Miniature India’ considering the similarities it shares in term of the diversities of geo-physical and social demography, emphasised the urgency of not remaining lackadaisical on the issue of protection of indigenous people of Manipur. He recommended a synergy of the government and the public with sincere and consistent effort as the need of the hour to effectively check the problem of large scale influx of migrants.
Prof. M. Dhaneshwor emphasised the inevitable necessity for stringent laws and the effective implementation of it by the state to protect the cultural, socio-economic, political and geo-physical structure of the land.
The inaugural was followed by a technical Session moderated by R.V. Mingthing (Ex-Minister).
The key resource persons who spoke on the occasion are Kim Gangte (Ex-MP), Dr. Y. Manikhuman (President AMUCO), Pradip Phanjoubam (Editor, Imphal Free Press) and Kh. Tarun (Advocate)
