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Come to think about it. Will the geographical boundary of Manipur be tampered according to the statements issued by Mr. Thuingaleng Muivah at New Delhi after meeting the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister?
We do agree that what Mr. Muivah said in Delhi after meeting the Deputy Prime Minister in New Delhi on January 10 was in extremely poor taste but what is more important for all of us to realize is that the manner in which the people of Manipur react to such rantings will prove much more crucial to the core issue at hand, that is fostering trust and the feeling of brotherly co-existence amongst the different community living in the State.
Expectedly there were reactions galore to the statement of Mr. Muivah but we are afraid to note that a number of organizations just stopped short of falling into the ‘trap’ carefully laid by the ‘statement.’ We have said it before and we will say it again. The people of Manipur have to be extra vigilant to see that the entire issue of protecting the territorial boundary of the State is not reduced to a clash of interest between the Meiteis and the Nagas.
No sir, we have to be on guard against such interpretations at all times, and the best way for us all, the media, the common people, the social organizations and student bodies, is not to be driven by sentiments but logic, yes cold logic, if needed be.
Why should Mr. Muivah come out with a statement that was aimed at provoking other communities particularly the Meiteis? This is a question worth pondering. It is our firm belief that it is not going to be statements and rhetoric of Mr. Muivah or any leaders of the NSCN (IM) that will affect the territorial boundary of Manipur but how we react to such provocative statements. By reacting immaturely to any provocative statements, we may just play into the hands of some vested interest that are intent on creating communal tension and this is what we should be on guard against.
If we place premium on the reactions of the people then can the news report carried in the newspapers published from mainland India and the metros be ignored? It was disturbing to see, The Telegraph, which is easily the most popular paper, from the metros, not only in Manipur but in the entire North Eastern region, carrying a news report in its January 11 edition that was not only communal but also factually incorrect.
Yes, tension ran high in Manipur two years back when the Bangkok Declaration geographically extended the cease fire between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India to all the Naga inhabited areas. But to say that the Meiteis burnt and looted properties of the Naga people in the valley area would be stretching one's imagination too far.
The report was filed from New Delhi and we are sure the Delhi correspondent of the paper do not have a first hand knowledge of the situation here but we certainly do not expect a paper like The Telegraph to carry unfounded reports that are not only factually wrong but also carry communal overtones.
Already the All Manipur United Clubs' Organization has strongly condemned the content of the story and has demanded a corrigendum. The paper has already acknowledged the misinformation in the report and if there is a lesson to be learnt, it is that the media, particularly the media from mainland India should realize the sensitiveness of the whole issue.
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