One of the prominent CSOs of Manipur, the Federation of Civil Society (FOCS) Manipur, has vehemently condemned and expressed dismay over the act of halting and disrupting the duty of journalists by a group of security personnel believed to be from the ‘Jat Regiment’ in between Yaingangpokpi towards Gwaltabi under Senapati District on Tuesday morning.
FOCS stated that there is no valid reason for the incident, which indirectly indicates the two-faced role of the governance and its hypocritical agenda under the shadow of President’s Rule, according to a statement sent to the press by Nerish Magang, Secretary of Information & Public Relations, FOCS Manipur.
Mention may be made here that the vehicle, a state-owned MST bus packed with journalists from Imphal, was travelling to the Shirui Festival venue for coverage. However, they were stopped and asked to remove the inscription of the state name ‘Manipur’ or erase or cover it on the bus. Later, the journalists, angered by the situation, returned on foot and then took a local vehicle to reach Imphal.
FOCS Manipur also informed that this festival is meant to promote the state’s tourism sector and contribute to economic development. It was initiated a few years ago as a state-level festival. The incident has grossly insulted the Shirui Lily flower, which blooms once a year between May and June at the Shirui Hills of Ukhrul District. The flower draws both domestic and foreign tourists due to its exquisite beauty, but the incident has rendered this major state festival meaningless and defamed.
After the incident, a team of FOCS Manipur, headed by its Acting Chairman BM Yaima Shah, reached the site to oversee the ground reality of the situation.
The statement also said the most tragic and unfortunate part is that in some places of Manipur, Meiteis are debarred or restricted from traveling and are not even allowed to inscribe the name of the state “Manipur” freely. This series of events suggests that the Governor’s administration has now become unsuccessful and has ushered in an unfortunate phase for the people of Manipur.
According to FOCS Manipur, the incident appears to be a planned effort by the Chin-Kuki-Zo, who have been trying to bifurcate Manipur’s unity and integrity over the past two years. It now raises suspicion and questions about whether, after the dissolution of the popular government, the current administration under President’s Rule is indirectly supporting a few groups of Kuki-Zo to deliver their demands. Appropriate action should be taken against those who deliberately attempted to disrupt such a state-level festival.
