Manipur Water Resources Minister Awangbow Newmai said he is grateful to the Home Minister Amit Shah for taking initiative to hold a meeting of legislatures belonging to the three communities of Manipur.
Minister Awangbow, a senior minister in N Biren Singh-led government is from the Naga community elected on NPF ticket and he was one of the ministers who participated in the New Delhi meeting hosted by Union Home ministry.
While returning to Imphal from Delhi after attending the meeting Minister Awangbow Newmai said, such meetings are needed because everyone is longing for peace.
Awangbow said we have to hammer out what is best for everyone. He said there will be more meetings of such kinds in future and yesterday’s meeting was just the beginning.
Awangbow said he sees lots of positivity in calling such a meeting by the Home Ministry. In order to bring peace one has to sit together and discuss so that differences can be sorted out and the legislators should collectively try to bring what is best for the people, the minister added.
“The main thing we would like to happen as of now is for both sides to come together and have a dialogue” Awangbow Newmai said.
The minister, however, denied the reports going around in the media that Meitei and Kuki MLAs meet the Home Ministry officials separately and said that everyone sit together.
Ministers Sapam Ranjan and Th Basanta Kumar also returned to Imphal in the same flight along with Awangbow Newmai. However, both the BJP legislators, belonging to the Meitei community, refused to give any reaction.
A BJP minister also rubbished the report that Meitei and Kuki MLAs met MHA officials along with BJP leaders separately. He also said the meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere and there was not a single mention of separate administration in the meetings.
Mention may be made that CM N Biren Singh also left Imphal on Wednesday for attending the Chief Minister’s conclave and swearing in of the new Haryana Chief Minister.
