Assam: Meitei and Kuki scholars come together to appeal for peace in Manipur
Guwahati: Two scholars from the Meitei and Kuki communities of Manipur came together on Wednesday to appeal for peace in the state, which has been in turmoil for the past four months.
Dr Yengkhom Jilangamba, an assistant professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Guwahati, and Dr Thangzakhup Tombing, an assistant professor at the National Law University in Amingaon, shared a dais at a public meeting organized by the Axom Nagarik Samaj in Guwahati.
In their speeches, the two scholars urged the warring communities to come together and end the violence. They also called on the government to take steps to address the root causes of the conflict.
Dr Jilangamba said that the crisis in Manipur is not just a local issue, but a regional one. He said that the entire Northeast India has not received the attention it deserves from the Central government.
Dr Tombing said that the peace process in Manipur has been hampered by the Naga council's warning that it will not tolerate any compromise on its claims to land. He said that the state government must disarm the warring communities and create an environment conducive to peace talks.
Other speakers at the meeting included noted scholar and intellectual Dr Hiren Gohain, former Arch Bishop of Guwahati Thomas Menamparampil, eminent theatre personality Kulada Kumar Bhattacharjee, retired IAS D N Saikia, and veteran journalist Haidar Hussain.
The meeting was presided over by Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, president of the Axom Nagarik Samaj and a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam.
In his concluding remarks, Mr Bhuyan said that the Axom Nagarik Samaj has been concerned about the disturbances in Manipur from the beginning. He said that the organization has issued several appeals for peace and has also organized protests against the violence.
In his welcome address Paresh Malakar, general secretary, Axom Nagarik Samaj spoke about the urgency of peace in Manipur and wondered how could Centre remain silent and indifferent when Manipur had been burning for months.