IT News
Imphal, June 8:
In light of the escalating violence in Manipur’s Jiribam district, Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, the newly-elected Member of Parliament, expressed his concerns during a press conference regarding the timing and motives behind these disturbing incidents. Dr. Akoijam stated, ‘I am quite intrigued for one reason that this incident happened just after the elections and this will certainly be the handiwork of those people who don’t love Manipur who want the crisis to continue in Manipur for their benefit personal or otherwise to destroy Manipur.’
During the press conference, Dr. Akoijam urged caution and responsibility in communication amidst the ongoing unrest. ‘My appeal to my fellow citizens in Manipur is that we must be careful in the way we speak. We must not provoke emotive especially on social media sites. We should be avoiding and be responsible when we report or express our opinions.’
Highlighting the dangers of misinformation and deliberate provocations, Dr. Akoijam cautioned against inflammatory rhetoric. ‘Our efforts should not be to aggravate the crisis as much as possible because those our enemy of our state wants to destroy and always try to provoke. You can always read in their social media sites: rumour or otherwise on WhatsApp. Some people will be using this deliberately, but you should be careful. We should not use such provocative words as much as possible. We should be responsible not to aggravate the situation.’”
He elaborated further, stating, “I have urged the district authority to completely revamp the security arrangements. I was informed that certain areas lack reinforcement, but steps are being taken to rectify this. I recently spoke with a security officer who assured me that reinforcements are en route.”
Reflecting on the current condition in Churachandpur as an example, Dr. Bimol reiterated, “We have learned from last year’s events, such as the flattening of Meitei localities like Khumujamba Leikai after residents were relocated. I have consistently maintained that certain elements are attempting to create divisions akin to the partition of Pakistan and India. Their actions align with this agenda. The state must ensure the protection of life and property without resorting to forced relocations, which are unconstitutional and serve an exclusivist agenda aimed at creating divisions. Therefore, our focus should be on not aiding these individuals who incite emotional responses with charged statements.”
Dr. Bimol emphasized the need for caution in reporting, stating, “And lastly, to the media fraternity, we should also be very careful when we report. As you can see, I have deliberately avoided mentioning which community’s village is not being protected and which community’s village has been protected by the state until yesterday. You are well aware of these details. Therefore, we should refrain from such specifics. The initial reports have named the victim and even provided details like vehicle numbers and individuals’ names. Let the police and security officers conduct their investigations and take necessary steps. We should not rush to accuse or draw conclusions.”
He also commented on the unjustifiability of burning down people’s houses, saying, “There is no justification for burning down people’s houses, whether it’s on the day of the tragedy or any other day.” Dr. Bimol added, “We must handle such matters with extreme care. Personally, I condemn this incident and any attempts to perpetuate violence in Manipur. It only serves the interests of those who do not have Manipur’s best interests at heart and wish to harm the state. This is their doing, and we must be extremely cautious. The appropriate response to them is to act more responsibly. We should place more trust in legitimate state security forces and institutions to address these issues. As citizens, we must push for action and hold them accountable for what has transpired.”
