Imphal-based civil bodies fuelling communal tension in Jiribam: AJLMPO

Jiri News Network

JIRIBAM |Sept 3

The All Jiribam Linguistic Minority People’s Organisation (AJLMPO) has condemned the statement of Coordinating Committee of Civil Societies Manipur regarding the identity of MLA of Jiribam.

A release signed by the Sushil Namasudra, vice president of AJLMPO maintained that it is a historical fact that Bengalis settled in Jiribam when Manipur was under the king’s administration and it was prior to independence and before 1949. “When Manipur got independence it was very clear that Bengalis among the other communities took major role in the human settlement of Jiribam”, the release added.

Further, the release said history of Jiribam have been published in different local dailies several times for public information. But Imphal-based different civil bodies and even some intellectuals have not paid heed to the facts; rather they are trying to create disunity and communal tensions among various communities in Jiribam who are living in harmony, it added.

AJLMPO continued it is very unfortunate that CCCSM without thinking much of the consequences have out rightly declared MLA Ashab Uddin as ‘Bangladeshi Macha’.  CCCSM should know the fact that the Bengalis in Jiribam are neither Bangladeshis nor foreigners but they are Indian and Manipuris who have got fundamental rights of settlement, right to vote and right to contest election, it said.

The release pointed out that the Bengalis had contested general elections in the year 1948, 1969, 1979, 1990, 2002 but no such allegations were made against them from any angle.

The people of Jiribam constitutionally mandated and elected Ashab Uddin as a MLA of Jiribam and the baseless allegation made against him by CCCSM tantamount to attacking the democratic rights of the Bengali people of Jiribam.

AJLMPO in the statement demanded CCCSM to provide documentary evidence in support of their statement otherwise the latter should make apology to the people of Jiribam for hurting their sentiment.  

In regards to the issue AJLMPO has convened a joint meeting with various civil organisations, public leaders and representatives of various communities residing in Jiribam on September 6 at PWD guest house, and it has appealed all concerned to attend the meeting, the release added.