IMPHAL, October 13: The United Committee Manipur today observed the last day of `Langban Thagi Heitha-Leithaba` and offered floral tribute to the souls of the `great martyrs`™ who laid down their lives during the June 18 incident at the Great June Uprising Memorial Complex, Kekrupat.
Speaking in the sideline of the occasion, UCM president Elangbam Johnson said the observation will once again awaken the spirit of nationalism and patriotism in Manipur.
He said UCM, AMUCO and CCSK have jointly launched a people`™s movement under the moto `Peoples movement for a common future of Manipur.`
And as a part of this movement UCM, AMUCO and CCSK will be organising public meetings and interaction programmes in the coming two to three days at the peripheral areas of the State where different communities co-exist.
`I am pretty sure that the Indian government must be aware of the discussions held during the inaugural function of `Peoples`™ movement for a common future of Manipur`™ held at Hotel Imphal,` he said.
`On the other hand, we have come across some disturbing reports of NSCN-IM recruiting new cadres in the hills districts of the State namely at Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel,` he continued.
Similar reports of recruitment of NSCN-IM cadres at Eastern Nagaland were also reported in the dailies published in the North Eastern region, he said.
UCM cannot rule out the suspicion of whether this is happening with the consent of the Indian government, he said.
The State government has also not given any statement regarding this issue, he added.
If these reports are true this is not the right step, he observed.
They (NSCN-IM and Government of India) have been claiming that they are engaging in peace talks however recruiting new armed cadres cannot bring peace in Manipur, it could only lead to more flare ups among the different communities residing together, he warned.
He urged the State government to find out the truth and also demanded the State government to pressurize the Centre to put a ban on these moves of NSCN-IM in the State, in case the report comes out to be true.
The UCM president citing that all the communities residing in Manipur have equal responsibility in safeguarding the integrity of Manipur, appealed to all the leaders irrespective of the hills and the valley to refrain from making inflammatory speeches which could break Manipur into pieces.
He further demanded the Centre to stop trying to break the integrity of Manipur.
`If these things continue, the resultant peoples`™ uprising can lead to a very ugly situation,` he warned.
He charged the Kangla Fort Board, a management committee which has been assigned to look after the Great June Uprising Memorial Complex, Kekrupat, Imphal, of not performing its duties seriously.
`We wanted to take care of this memorial site however we are not allowed to enter here except on June 18 or on occasions like today. This site is in a pathetic condition as we can all see here,` Johnson said to media persons pointing towards the tall grasses in the complex.
He appealed the State Government to properly maintain the site under a specific policy.
`When people from other parts of the world come to see this memorial site it will be an embarrassment for us,` he added.
