IT News
Imphal, May 20:
North-East Cultural Exchange Program 2024 and Handloom Mela concluded today, with Joychandra Konthoujam, President of the UCM, delivering remarks. He emphasized the importance of preserving our cultural heritage and enhancing work culture, stating that our culture serves as a vital reflection of our identity.
Addressing concerns about historical revisionism, Joychandra Konthoujam affirmed Manipur’s integrity, citing its pre-existing independence before India. He advocated for “seeking pre-merger status to protect Manipur’s territorial integrity if India government is not listening to Manipur government.”
He urged the “Indian government to respect Manipur’s decisions, suggesting that politicians should oppose the Indian government if it fails to listen to Manipur’s concerns.”
Furthermore, he highlighted the root causes of conflict, including drug trade, poppy cultivation, deforestation, and the protection given to Chin-Kuki groups in Myanmar. He criticized the Home Minister’s statements as “frivolous,” emphasizing that the conflict is driven by Chin-Kuki militants seeking financial gain through poppy plantations, rather than being an ethnic conflict. He points out that Kuki-Chin militants are pretending to rebel but actually running the militancy to earn money through poppy plantation.
Joychandra Konthoujam urged the Manipur government to take a decisive stand against these issues, particularly noting the displacement of Meitei people by Kuki militants as a serious concern. He said that “Kuki militants could not do much to the government and instead they attacked the people of Torbung, displaced them and appropriated their land and paddy fields.”
He lamented the lack of unified action from the Indian government in addressing these issues, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to resolve the conflict.