Massive protest against Assam Rifles’ legal notice to Manipur politician Maheshwar Thounaojam
POLITICS
Imphal: In an act of defiance against the Assam Rifles for its legal notice to actor-turned-politician, Thounaojam Maheshwar, thousands of women, including film personalities, staged massive sit-ins across the valley districts against the oldest paramilitary force in country on Saturday.
The women protestors charged that the Rifles, despite having ample evidence of its support by providing logistics and arms and ammunition to Kuki militants, who are fighting against the very idea of a Manipur, are still denying its involvement, which is very despicable.
“There was nothing wrong with what Mahesh has said. If the Assam Rifles disagreed what he said should come up with proof and evidence that they never supported the Kuki militants who are continuously aiming their guns and killing innocent civilians, including farmers in their own villages and paddy fields,” they said.
“The legal notice slapped on the former actor was to cover up its (Assam Rifles) own misdemeanor, and we believe the notice itself is against the entire community. We will defend not only Mahesh, but also the motherland which we so much adore,” the womenfolk added.
Expressing serious concerns over the continued violence in Manipur, popular actor film actor Gurumayum Bonny Sharma said that the entire state is standing with Maheshwar who is also the national secretary of the Republican Party of India (RPI-Athawale).
“The present crisis might hamper our competition and development with the rest of the world, but the dreams some people were trying to break Manipur would never fulfill,” he cautioned.
In its notice dated August 18, the rifles, charged Maheshwar of doing “considerable harm” to the reputation of the force and “standing of the organisation in the public eye.”
His comments at the ‘Condolence of Meitei Martyrs’ meeting in Delhi on June 30, have been “discouraging and demoralizing” to the paramilitary force.
“Is Assam Rifles playing a major role in the violence that has continued for more than two months now? They have to be removed immediately because Kuki militants cannot alone unleash violence at such a large scale. They are getting support from foreign militants and one of our agencies here. Villagers have recorded this,” the notice quoted Thounojam as saying.
Maheshwar contested on an RPI (Athawale) ticket from the prestigious Keishamthong seat in Imphal West district in the last state assembly polls held in March last year.