Manipur NGOs seek help to put an end to insurgency
Mumbai: Citizens’ groups and NGOs from Manipur are making a fervent appeal for peace to be brought back to their region and the lives of civilians, especially women and children, to be saved.
The United NGO Mission Manipur (UNMM), led by its secretary Nobokishore Urikhimbam, was in the city to meet with political parties, civic groups and NGOs to create awareness about problems plaguing their state and to put pressure on the Centre for a peace initiative.
The UNMM represents 35 NGOs and this trip is part of a national initiative to reinitiate the peace process in Manipur. At a meeting in the city on Saturday, former Bombay high court judge Chandrashekhar Dharmadikari called upon the citizens of India to support moves to help bring about peace in the region. “The needs of the people in the north east have been ignored for long by the people of India,’’ he said.
Urikhimbam said, “The fighting has gone on for over 50 years. It has left a fractured land with the armed forces on one side and the insurgents on the other, fighting it out with heavy casualties among the civilian population.’’ “At the time of Independence in 1947, there was
only one organisation which was called an insurgent outfit in the north east region, the Naga National Council. Now there are 47 organisations in the area labelled as insurgent organisations by the government,’’ he said.
Civic groups and political parties in India have a role to play in bringing about peace in Manipur, he said, “Particularly in trying for a repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, which gives the armed forces a free hand in the north eastern states.’’ “The fighting over the last 50 years has sapped the energies of the people who continue to live in fear of the armed forces,’’ said Maulana Syed Ahmed of the Jamiat Ulama-I-Manipur. “All religious groups have opposed the continuous fighting, but unless there is a peace initiative it will continue.’’
Sitara Begum, who works with women’s groups in Manipur, pointed out that the women and children were the worst sufferers in the conflict. “Women in Manipur cannot go out after 6 in the evening as there is a constant fear of attacks,’’ she said.
“Demonstrations by women against the atrocities committed on them has not had much of an effect on the government,’’ she said. Two organisations, Indraprastha Public Affairs Centre of New Delhi and the Sampark Advocacy Group, are facilitating dialogues with the UNMM in different parts of the country.
The United NGO Mission Manipur (UNMM), led by its secretary Nobokishore Urikhimbam, was in the city to meet with political parties, civic groups and NGOs to create awareness about problems plaguing their state and to put pressure on the Centre for a peace initiative.
The UNMM represents 35 NGOs and this trip is part of a national initiative to reinitiate the peace process in Manipur. At a meeting in the city on Saturday, former Bombay high court judge Chandrashekhar Dharmadikari called upon the citizens of India to support moves to help bring about peace in the region. “The needs of the people in the north east have been ignored for long by the people of India,’’ he said.
Urikhimbam said, “The fighting has gone on for over 50 years. It has left a fractured land with the armed forces on one side and the insurgents on the other, fighting it out with heavy casualties among the civilian population.’’ “At the time of Independence in 1947, there was
only one organisation which was called an insurgent outfit in the north east region, the Naga National Council. Now there are 47 organisations in the area labelled as insurgent organisations by the government,’’ he said.
Civic groups and political parties in India have a role to play in bringing about peace in Manipur, he said, “Particularly in trying for a repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, which gives the armed forces a free hand in the north eastern states.’’ “The fighting over the last 50 years has sapped the energies of the people who continue to live in fear of the armed forces,’’ said Maulana Syed Ahmed of the Jamiat Ulama-I-Manipur. “All religious groups have opposed the continuous fighting, but unless there is a peace initiative it will continue.’’
Sitara Begum, who works with women’s groups in Manipur, pointed out that the women and children were the worst sufferers in the conflict. “Women in Manipur cannot go out after 6 in the evening as there is a constant fear of attacks,’’ she said.
“Demonstrations by women against the atrocities committed on them has not had much of an effect on the government,’’ she said. Two organisations, Indraprastha Public Affairs Centre of New Delhi and the Sampark Advocacy Group, are facilitating dialogues with the UNMM in different parts of the country.