Highlighting the incident of two men from the Poumai community violently assaulted by members of another community (Meitei), Taragi Cheisu has urged all other communities of the state not to blame a whole community when some individual(s) violates another.
In every community there is a wayward person and one should not blame the whole community for that wayward person, said Khaidem Mani, a member of Taragi Cheisu. Such incidents of mindless violence and banditry are becoming a menace, perpetrated by growing band hooligans taking advantage of the complete lawlessness in the state, he added.
During a press conference held in Imphal on Saturday, Khaidem Mani said they came to know that on October 31, two men of Poumai community were brutally beaten up and a sum of Rs 61,400 looted from them by a group at gunpoint. Despite producing proof of their identities, they were repeatedly threatened and assaulted, he added.
Taragi Cheisu also condemned the nature of assault and violence caused to those men. Concerned police should take up appropriate action against those culprits, he stated.
However, while reporting any such news, the media should know the situation of the state and report stories so as not to stab other communities with the news, he said.
“I think we should not differentiate ourselves by community, as we are staying together in a region. Amid the ongoing fight between two communities, causing hurt to other community may cause another violence. At this juncture we should face hardship together without identifying or differentiating community by community”, said Khaidem Mani.
“It is also not right to charge the whole community because of some stubborn persons”, said Khaidem Mani.
He further said the organisation is seriously concerned about the frequent acts of forcibly demanding unbearable amounts of money by certain groups under threats and intimidations from the business community and salaried sections of society. Manipur cannot afford to have the situation deteriorate any further, he said.
The civil society organisations must come together to collectively find a solution as part of social and moral responsibility. So, Taragi Cheisu is initiating a meeting to discuss solutions to work out issues, he added.
Taragi Cheisu also condemned the external affairs minister’s statement in an interview of a news-channel over Manipur issues.
In connection to the statement, Khaidem Mani said that external affairs minister S Jaishankar, during the interview, had appealed not to defame India by raising the Manipur issue.
“We are very concerned by his statement that cautioned people to desist from airing out any grievances of the people of Manipur that may affect the image of the government of national and international level”, said Khaidem Mani.
Central leaders tend to skirt the Manipur issue by simplifying that the area had earlier seen a similar crisis rather than putting in sincere efforts to resolve the crisis, he said, adding that the government declared zero tolerance against terrorism and in Kashmir the government targets terrorists however in Manipur when Kuki terrorists attacked civilians no action was taken.
