The Hindu : National : ``Safeguard territorial integrity of Manipur''

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 17, 2006

National

National

``Safeguard territorial integrity of Manipur''

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A delegation of the Manipur Platform of Mass Organisation has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in safeguarding the territorial integrity of Manipur by an act of Parliament.

Cease fire sought

The delegation, compromising members of a conglomerate of class and mass groups of Manipur, met Dr. Singh on Thursday and asked him to declare a unilateral ceasefire to bring the insurgents to the negotiating table without any precondition.

Expressing concern and anguish over the recent expression of the "vested'' Naga leadership that the Naga problems could be solved only when the Naga-inhabited areas were united as a single administrative unit, the delegation pointed out that the dialogues between the Centre and NSCN (I-M) and the latter's demand for a greater Nagaland had led to a situation of unrest in the State. "Manipur, with a written history of 2,000 years, has been inhabited by different communities of ethnic groups, living in peace and harmony," they said.

Memorandum submitted

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the organisation also demanded adequate funds for infrastructure development of the State, creation of more Government jobs, filling of vacant posts and taking up immediate measures for implementation of the Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

The memorandum sought a special economic package for the development of the State, establishment of more hydroelectric power projects to meet the domestic and industrial power requirements, completion of the construction of the Trans-Asian Highway project and upgradation of the National Highways in Manipur to four lanes.

Led by L. Sotinkm umar Singh, chairperson of the organisation, the delegation invited Dr. Singh to visit the State.

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