North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) on Thursday lambasted the Central government for allegedly remaining mute and failing to take any concrete measures to rein in the three-month-long turmoil which had engulfed Manipur.
NESO added that the step-motherly treatment of the Prime Minister in resolving the Manipur issue had built resentment among the indigenous people of Northeast India.
The organisation demanded authorities concerned to take a more proactive role and stop the unending violence which has completely derailed the state.
An 18-member NESO team had been on a two-day goodwill visit to Manipur since August 1 to assess the ground reality of the conflict. During the visit, the team went to four relief camps- two each in Churachandpur and the valley.
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Speaking to the media at Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul, NESO chairperson Samuel Jyrwa highlighted that the team had submitted a memorandum to the Manipur governor in connection with the observations made during the visit.
“We also passed on the memorandum to the Prime Minister through the governor. In the memorandum, we have expressed the resentment of the entire indigenous North East community over the continued silence of the central government and their delay to resolve the crisis,” he said.
Such crisis calls for proactive measures from the authorities but actions are a far cry in Manipur, he added.
He also informed that the NESO team had met with the chief minister and discussed the prolonged issue thoroughly.
“We have submitted concerns specifically highlighting the plights of students in the state and strongly demanded authorities to safeguard the academic career of students,” he said.
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He stated that numerous students had lost their academic gains due to the prevailing turmoil. Therefore, he appealed to the authorities to find out measures to properly address the grievances of students and ensure that lasting peace prevailed in the state.
He highlighted that the main objective of the NESO visit to Manipur was to show solidarity with the victims who suffered in the violence and to properly assess the hardships and the grievances of the people.
Meanwhile, NESO secretary general Mutsikhoyo Yhobo assured that NESO would continue to press the authorities until concrete actions were taken and appealed to all people to maintain peace in Manipur.
“NESO cannot give any commitment but we assure that the organisation will keep pressuring the government to intervene and make sure peace is restored in Manipur at the earliest,” he said.
