(Let’s start correcting self)
It is now clear, the external forces which has been trying to distort the unity among the various community of the state has successfully implanted the feeling of enmity by now. A Samaritan gesture for those travellers stranded during the 24 hour total shut called by JAC formed against the 3 ILPS related Bills, has been misinterpreted and section of people including we in the Imphal Times had believed on what has been told by some people who identified themselves to be from among those passengers of vehicles stranded at Senapati district. We expressed our sincere regrets to our news report which mislead the people of the state about what had happened on that day. However, we do make ourselves clear that since the dateline of our newspaper is at 3 pm we do have certain limitation in getting accurate report. Having said so, it’s not an excuse to the wrong we have committed but a sincere apology.
It is now time that people of the state which has been staying together from time immemorial ponder upon on why the apple of discord on any issues – be it be the Naga issue, ILPS issue, ST issue, the AFSPA issue or environmental issues, people inhabiting in the region had stopped voicing together. When the Manipur Govt. had perfect reason to keep intact the territorial boundary of the state, which was once an Asiatic kingdom, the leadership of the NSCN-IM too have their legitimate argument to fight for the right of the Naga people. When the government of Manipur felt it important for introduction of a legislation to check the influx of illegal migrants it is natural that some brothers who had conditionally taken refuge from the neighbouring countries but become very much a part of us worried about their fate. As this was clear as the Hills brethren are only against the clause (b) of article 2 of the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015 which describe the meaning of “Manipur people” as those persons of Manipur, whose name are in the National Register of Citizens, 1951, census Report 1951 and Village Directory of 1951. It is also right for some meitei people to felt secure if protected by a system called ST but it is no wrong that history and pride of the Meitei people will be in jeopardy by doing so.
With the fact that there are differences among the various communities on certain sentimental issues, various other issues which have been suppressing all the community of the region cannot be fight together. For example, each of us in the region knows the reality of the brutality committed by the draconian laws AFSPA, 1958. The incident of Operation ‘Blue Bird’ in Oinam, the involuntarily made disappearance of many youths, shooting of youths in fake encounter so and so is still a talk. But only one lady, whom we gave the title – “Iron Lady” called Irom Chanu Sharmila is fighting alone for repeal of the draconian act.
Somewhere, something has seriously gone wrong. Even as each of us wrote many times – “together we stand, divided we fall”, we in this part of the region never stand united. Why?
We the Imphal Times today say sorry for a wrong we reported in our newspaper yesterday, why can’t anybody come forward and say sorry to the wrongs that had been committed so that we stand together to challenge any force which come to disintegrate us. To the mainlanders – Nagas, Kukis, Meitei are all same, why should we be divided?
