Our correspondent
Imphal, April 8 (EMN): Manipur Governor Dr Najpam Heptulla appealed to the Churachandpur-based Joint Action Committee Against Anti- Tribal Bills (JACAATB) “to allow a decent burial with all religious rites to the dead bodies lying in the morgue and to participate wholeheartedly in the democratic process of dialogue for resolving their issues.”
Governor Dr Heptulla’s appeal came a day after first round of talk between the JACAATB and Manipur Government held with Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh in the chair on Friday.
The talk was attended by Works Minister Th Biswajit Singh, Agriculture and Veterinary Minister V Hangkhanlian, Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen, Tribal Development & Hills Minister N Kayisii and senior officials, while the 11-member JAC delegation was led by its Chief Convenor H Mangchinkhup.
Lauding the government move besides informing that times have changed and after the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly Elections a new popular Government is now in place, she said, “I am happy that the new Government has taken the initiative for breaking the ice between the Government and the JACAATB and bringing the leaders of the latter to the negotiating table.”
Stating that there are already signs of a thaw in their rigid positioning, she added we are living in a democratic country and dialogue is the preferred means of resolving issues in a democracy. There is nothing that cannot be resolved through dialogue and we should all repose full faith in this democratic process.
Demanding justice, the JACAATB had been spearheading an agitation in Churachandpur after the then government passed three bills including the Protection of Manipur People’s Bills 2015 in the Assembly on August 31, 2015 which led to the loss of 9 (nine) young lives in the hill town.
More than a year has passed, all the dead bodies except for one are still lying unclaimed in the morgue, she said and expressed that the family members of the deceased have not been able to perform the last rites and give a decent burial to their loved ones. This is heart wrenching and not in consonance with the teachings of any of our religions, she felt.
