Imphal, September 13: The fourth anniversary of National Identity Protection Committee (Nipco) was held at Kuki Inn today with Manipur�s titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba as the chief guest.

In his address, Sanajaoba referring to calls from various section for unity among various organisations to defeat the nefarious designs of vested interest stressed on formulating an acceptable mechanism to enable organisations with different opinion and affiliation come closer and work for the welfare of the people.

Highlighting that large number of people living in the interior areas of the State are yet to enjoy fruit of development due to Government negligence, Leishemba urged the NGOs to sort out basic infrastructural inadequacies faced by these people and strive for mitigating their grievances so that emotional integrity can be strengthened.

On the Naga integrity issue, he asserted that people of Manipur cannot tolerate or compromise distortion of its present boundary to pave the way for formation of greater Nagaland.

Presenting the presidential speech, Nipco president Chirom Rajketan lamented that people of Manipur are entangled in local issues hardly getting the opportunity to join the global phenomena of rapid advancement in diverse fields.

Preserving the traditional and cultural identity will be futile exercise until and unless the people attain economic and social emancipation so as to divert their energies into more productive pursuits, he observed while adding that time has come to abandon narrow outlook and petty differences, so that the people of Manipur will rise to be a force to reckon with in the international arena.

Lamenting and ruing the civil organisations' single-minded concentration on only protecting the territorial integrity of Manipur, guest of honour of the anniversary programme, Moichingmayum Abdul Qayum, who is the advisor of United Manipur Muslim Organisation, said deviation of energy towards ushering economic prosperity by developing commercial avenues and expanding job opportunities for the youths would be more appropriate.

Suggesting that conducive atmosphere should be created to woo industrial houses that could provide jobs, Abdul Qayum reminded all concerned that maximum restraint should be made in order to promote sense of security and viability to private entrepreneurs instead of extortion threats which would only draw negative response.

He referred to instances of qualified individuals preferring greener pastures in other parts of the country and potential investors shying away from Manipur as vivid reflection of insecurity in investing hard earned money in the State due to constant social upheaval.

Among others, social activists K Prongo, Motbung Village Chief SC Lamthong, UCM advisor RK Ranendrajit, president of All Manipur Women�s Social Reformation and Development Samaj K Taruni and president of Apunba Manipur Kanba Lup N Sorojini graced the occasion as members of the dais.