Manipur territorial integrity will be protected, says CM

IMPHAL, March 26 (EMN): Manipur chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh today said that the territorial integrity of the state will be protected at any cost as it is dearer than his life and that is the commitment of the government.

The chief minister Biren said this while interacting with reporters before he left Imphal for the national capital this afternoon to pay a courtesy call on the President of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other central leaders after he assumed the charge of the chief minister on March 15.

He said Prime Minister of India had already clarified regarding the Framework Agreement and the central government also have issued a clear-cut clarification on Saturday that there is nothing that can harm the territorial integrity of Manipur in that Framework of Agreement and what the NSCN(I-M) leader Muivah was reported to have said is his claim.

NSCN (IM) General Secretary Th Muivah’s remark during the outfit’s Republic Day function in Nagaland on Tuesday that the ‘Framework Agreement’ which was signed with centre two years ago recognises the demand for integration of Naga areas which evoked reactions from various fronts including chief minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal.

Responding to another question on the issue of implementation of the Inner Line Permit system in the state, chief minister replied that the new government will see what can be done in consultation with all the stakeholders.

During his first visit after assuming the charge of chief minister of Manipur, Biren is expected to apprise the Prime Minister about the problems being faced by the state and he was hopeful that the Prime Minister who is keen to solve the problems will listen and help find solutions.

He will also meet the President of India, the BJP national president and the Home Minister. Minister for Works, Information and Public Relations Th Biswajit Singh also accompanied the chief minister. They are expected to return on March 29.

Bandh affects life in Manipur 

The 17-hours general strike called by Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (Desam) in protest against the induction of Md Ashab Uddin, an independent MLA from Jiribam seat as a parliamentary secretary in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led coalition government in the state, affected the normal life in the border state particularly in Imphal areas on Sunday.

Desam alleged that the government has inducted a ‘non-local’ as a parliamentary secretary in the government while the indigenous population of the state are struggling for their rights despite having a continuous movement since 1980s.

Meanwhile, chief minister N Biren told the media persons that the Jiribam MLA won the assembly elections adding he contested two times in Panchayat elections. Stating that he is confused what to do, the chief minister added after all people have elected him being a citizen (in assembly elections).

The general strike, which concluded peacefully on Sunday evening, affected normal movement of all the inter-district and inter-State transport services from dawn to dusk. Shops and commercial establishments remained closed despite the State Government’s appeal to call off the strike in public interest as it implies that anybody engaged in calling and enforcement of bandh is liable to be prosecuted under the law.

Like Imphal city, satellite towns around Imphal namely Singjamei, Kwakeithel, Lamlong, Palace Gate, Kongba Bazar and Sangakpham Bazaar wore a deserted look. However, there was no report of any untoward incident. The air traffic remained unaffected.

However, a similar bandh by Manipur Muslim Welfare Organisation and AMMOCOC, another body, for the same period, demanding clarification from the government of India over NSCN-IM leader Muivah’s remark on ‘Naga Integration” and implementation of the three bills on Inner Line Permit system to save the indigenous people in the state, was called off during the day time.