IMPHAL, August 26: A meeting convened by All Manipur Muslim Organizations’ Co-ordinating Committee (AMMOCOC) has strongly condemned and denied any connection with the Manipuri Muslims and the communal riots in Assam.
According to a release of AMMOCOC, the two day meeting convened by All Muslim Organizations’ Co-ordinating Committee (AMMOCOC) was attended by leaders of various indigenous people of the state, various organizations of Meitei-Pangaal (Manipuri Muslim), students as well as teachers of colleges and university, social activists and experts, students bodies.
The meeting strongly condemned the sense of insecurity faced by the North East students and working class leading to mass exodus in main cities including Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai, as a result of the riots in Assam between the Bodo community and Minority Muslim, it said.
“India government failing to timely resolve the issue has shown its negligence over the North East people,” it said.
“According to an instruction by the Home Ministry, Govt of India to the state, that there are radical hardliners in Manipur and to check it, has made it looked as if the indigenous people of the state specially Meitei Pangaal (Manipuri Muslim) has connection with terrorist organization of the world. This kind of statement will create communal disharmony between the indigenous communities of the state. This kind of statement is condemned by the people of the state,” it further said.
“Manipuri Muslims are not terrorists, we have never started an issue based on religion. We have always contributed in bring unity, harmony and peace in the state,” it said.
The meeting further condemned the alleged brutal killing of Manipuri student, Md Sarif Ahamed, whose body was found at the railway track near Jalpiguri in West Bengal.
This incident has further added confusion to the people of state. The governments of Bengal, Assam, Manipur should come out clean on the incident. Providing ex-gratia and job to the family of the decease person is not enough, the government should clear out the confusion in the minds of the people too.
The meeting has further refuted the claimed made by a civil organization that the Manipuri Muslims are trying to gain their number by mixing with the Bangladeshi Muslims immigrants. Further said that such claims during this time of anxiety, sounds very immature on the part of the organization.
The demand for the implementation of Inner Line Permit System in the state is not only for the Meitei Community, but it is for all the indigenous communities living in the state including Meitei Pangal. Meitei Pangaal will fully support the cause of ILP. Further it has suggested for an ‘inter-community dialogue’ to clear out any misunderstanding if any.
