RAYAGADA CIVIL SOCIETIES SUBMIT MEMORANDUM TO PREZ TO RESTORE PEACE IN MANIPUR
Dr.Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, July 1: Several members from civil societies like Utkal Sarvodaya Mandal-Rayagada branch, Rayagada Nagarika Mancha, Zilla sambadika Sangha, Press Club, Bar Association, GIACR, Seva Samaj, Society for Fast Justice, etc assembled in Gandhi Park to register their protest about the state of affairs in Manipur. Bijaya Kumar Baboo, President of Rayagada Sarvodaya Mandal briefly described about the violent situation in Manipur. “We, the citizens of Rayagada, Odisha, are disturbed by the unrest in Manipur. The loss of life and property of Manipuri brothers and sisters is a matter of grave concern and shame for all of us. The Meitei and Kuki tribes are killing each other, houses are being burnt, the Manipuri streets are a horrifying scene of destruction. We believe that this is a communal riot. By dividing the people of Manipur on the basis of religion-caste-tribes, a fire is lit and the whole state is up in flames”, said Baboo.
Expressing his concern over the issue in Manipur Dr Badal kumar Tah, Secretary of Utkal Sarvodaya Mandal-Rayagada Branch & President of Zilla Sambadika Sangha said, “The responsibility of the internal security of our beloved country is as much that of the governments as it is of the people of the country. Her Excellency the President is the guardian of both of them. That’s why we appeal to her to take an initiative to put a stop to this orgy of violence in Manipur. We are confident that if the forces of peace and brotherhood unite under her leadership, then no one, be it the government, the terrorists, politician or any random organization could stop us from uniting. Her initiative would symbolize that the whole nation wants to strengthen the forces of peace with a new resolve. We also want to appeal to our Manipuri brothers and sisters not to get misled by such people who are baking their bread by setting our houses on fire.”
Labanya Mohan Pattanaik, Member of Rayagada Bar Association appealed, “As the first tribal woman President of our country, we have lot of respect for you. For this reason, we also believe that you will understand the difficulties of civilian life better than others. We request that you should immediately take an initiative to stop the violence in Manipur. Strict action should be taken against whoever speaks or writes the language of hatred. The question is not only of Manipur, but also of the whole country. The Supreme Court has also said that if we are not careful while there is still time, the whole country will burn in the fire of hatred. We pray that you get inspiration and strength from the previous presidents of India who have used their power in the interest of the country. We, the commoners, assure you of supporting every step you take towards peace.”
Inmates of Seva Samaj recited Gandhian prayer of peace & non-violence. Others namely Deepak Prusty, B H Nagaraju, Prashanta Palo, Bijaya Das, Dipti Pradhan, Ranjan Rath, Ajay Rath, Rasmi Ranjan Dora, Rabindra Patakhandal, Gobinda Prasad Rath, Jagadish Chandra Dora, B V Ramana, K K M Patnaik, Maudi Barik, Asutosh Patnaik extended their solidarity in this peace process.
