The United Committee Manipur (UCM) has strongly condemned the burning of its office by culprits on Friday night and demanded their immediate arrest while calling for a thorough investigation into the incident.
Reacting strongly to the violent incident, UCM consultant Yumnamcha Dilipkumar, during a press meet held at the Manipur Press Club, stated that whoever committed the arson should be apprehended and given strict punishment according to the law. He further expressed his dismay, stating that the arson of the UCM office was heart-breaking.
UCM is an organisation consisting of multiple entities, and this incident has not affected the organisation itself, he said.
“All the documents that were painstakingly collected - a large collection of documents on the history and boundary of Manipur - are now turned to ashes,” he lamented and stated that this is an intelligence failure on the part of the Manipur home department and the government is responsible.
The committee reiterated that such acts of violence and vandalism are detrimental to the peace and harmony of the region.
The UCM is awaiting a swift response from the law enforcement agencies, he said.
Organising secretary of United Committee Manipur, Nahakpam Shanta said that the state government should intervene and give befitting punishment to the miscreants involved in the incident.
“UCM office is within 100 to 200 metres from Lamphel police station and how come an intelligence of the police had no information and not trying to protect from burning”, Santa asked.
Since the formation of the committee in 2001, different documents related to the history of Manipur, specially the documents of indigenous groups were burnt, he informed, adding that those documents cannot be bought even with crores of rupees.
UCM President Joychandra Konthoujam, expressing a similar sentiment, narrated the history of UCM, from how it started from the movement to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur.
He said the arson is the same as the “burning of our history as the arson has led to the destruction of important documents, some of which were collected for publications. These documents could not be acquired now even if we pay crores and crores of rupees.”
Furthermore, he added that not only computers and other stationery items, but even the clothes they kept for personal use were all burnt down.
“In the president’s room, money amounting to Rs 5.3 lakh for the construction of the office, which were donated by the people, were all burnt down,” he added.
Joychandra further stated that the arson led to the destruction of all these properties that belong to the people of Manipur. He appealed that all the parties should understand that they all have come out to defend the territorial integrity of Manipur and Manipuri people.
