AMUCO surprise over Union HM’s statement

IMPHAL, Oct 31 :The All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) has expressed surprise at the recent statement of Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde that he had met both the Chief Ministers of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh to solve the vexed Naga issue before the onset of Nagaland election due in March next year.

AMUCO president KT  Rehman expressed his opposition to the talk of the Union home minister with the two Chief Ministers.

KT Rehman said this on the sideline of distribution of pea seeds at the organisation’s office, saying that Shinde’ s move was out of reason and questioned the real motive behind the statement. Rehman questioned why even as the NSCN (I-M) had claimed some territory of Assam, yet it has not been  disclosed in his (Shinde) statement.

The AMUCO president asserted that the people of Manipur have trust in the assurance given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi that the territorial integrity of the state would not be touched. However, the recent development has panicked the people, he said.

Whether be it alternative arrangement, supra-state body, southern Nagaland or demand of autonomy, there is no objection from the AMUCO side except that the outcome of any peace talk should not touch the territorial integrity of Manipur, the AMUCO chief said.

Rehman also noted that distribution of seeds was done as a step to promote agricultural activities in the state and to make the land self sufficient and not dependent on outside import in regard to agricultural products, he said, lamenting that in ancient times, the state was not dependent on other sources. However, after the state merged with India, food dependency occurred, that when the two national highways were blocked, people of Manipur were put in panicky situation, he stressed.    

Manipur government should take up programmes for smooth implementation of agricultural activities as the state is likely to face scarcity of food due to dearth of rainfall, he urged while 25 bags of American pea were distributed to the farmers of the state.