Imphal, March 6 A leading Meitei civil society organisation -- Federation of Civil Society (FOCS) -- on Thursday announced that it along with other like-minded organisations would organise a peace march from Imphal to Naga people dominated district Senapati district on March 8.
FOCS President Th Manihar appreciating Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement allowing the free movement of all people and all kinds of vehicles on all roads in Manipur from March 8, said that in line with the Centre’s decision they would also organise the peace march to convey a message of harmony and to bring back the normalcy in the state.
The march from Imphal to Senapati would go through mountainous Kangpokpi district, which is inhabited by Kuki-Zo community people. The FOCS leaders also urged the Kuki organisations instead of opposing the peace march to join in the rally.
"Three Kuki-Zo organisations have opposed our proposed peace march. We appeal to them to join our march to restore peace and harmony in the state. The peace march is also an attempt to see if the Centre stands by its commitment to allowing free movement," Manihar told the media.
He said that the peace march would start from the historic Kangla Fort Gate in Imphal on Saturday morning and would proceed to Senapati district. FOCS is also considering holding a similar peace march in near future to the border town of Moreh, along India-Myanmar border.
The FOCS President claimed that organisations like the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) and the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), both Kuki-Zo tribal organisations, have not opposed the peace march and called on them to support this gesture of peace.
Meanwhile, Manipur Lok Sabha member Angomcha Bimol Akoijam on Thursday met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at Raj Bhavan and discussed the prevailing turmoil in the state and explored ways to restore peace and normalcy.
Sources said that during the meeting, Congress MP highlighted the financial implications of the ethnic crisis and urged the Governor for budgetary measures to address them.
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