Manipur students observe 1980 ‘anti-foreigner movement’

Our Correspondent IMPHAL,April 17 Commemorating the 1980 Anti-Foreigner movement , All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) observed 35th 'Meekap Thokpa Numit' (Realisation Day) in the state on Friday.Paying homage to the portraits of the two students leaders-Loken and Premananda who lost their lives during anti-foreigner movement, the AMSU functionaries along with a large number of students in their respective uniforms paid a rich floral tribute at AMSU memorial at Pishum Ching at Singjamei about 3 km south of Imphal in the morning hour and later they took out a public rally from Pishum and passed through important streets of Imphal including Keisamthong,Keishampat, Wahengbam leikai, Nagamapal,Khoyathong and converged at Multipurpose hall of DM College, Imphal for a public meeting. The public meeting was attended by Former AMSU president Dr N Mohilal Meitei who is currently a teacher of Life Science Department in Manipur University, AMSU President S Subashchandra , Assistant Professor of Political Science Imphal College RK Itocha, Assistant Prof Economic Manipur College L Gojendro, Secretary General NESO Sinan Prakash, president All Assam Manipuri Student Union (AAMSU) Seram Herajit, Advocate K Dhirendra Singhga president Tripura Students' and youth co-ordination committee, president Shillong Manipur Students' Union (SMSU), Sangba Huidrom as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively. Addressing the meeting, AMSU Secretary General Manjit Sarangthem in his key note address said that it has been an evident in the history of human civilisation about the assimilation of smaller communities by the large ones. He added that it is worth to recount Aztec civilization that has been assimilated by the Spanish colonisers and the report of disappearance of Red Indian and Canadian from United States is also an evident. He added that if we look inside the territory of India, the tribals of Andaman and Nicobar islands and the incident of disappearing tripuris from Tripura and the current situation of Chakma refugee demanding homeland and the women of Sema ('Sumiya') inter-marrying with Bangladesh foreigners (Miyas) have also been increased in Nagaland and creates an alarming situation among the indigenous population of the region. Speaking on the occasion, Advocate K Dhirendra Singhga president Tripura Students' and youth co-ordination committee stated that the entire NE states of India have encountered a big threat in protecting the indigenous population. And the people of the north-eastern states have been suppressed by enforcing AFSPA, he alleged. Narrating the situation of Tripura, he added that the last king of Tripura has reserved 60 percent of its total land for the indigenous population. However, he added, that the enforcement of Land Reformation Act 1980 by the central government created a threat of extinction of Indigenous population. He added that it high time for to formulate a policy or law to protect the indigenous population.Other who attended the function also spoke on the occasion.