Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 22 2009:
Humanist Party of India, Manipur State Council has called upon the Union Home Minister of India to resolve the problems of Manipur politically not through the barrels of gun.
A delegation of the party led by its general secretary Y Biren Singh met Nabin Verma, the representative of the Home Minister at the Central Secretariat, New Delhi yesterday.
Apart from discussing the issues related to peace and security in Manipur, the delegation also submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister.
In the memorandum, the State Council of the Humanist Party of India asserted that the root cause of the problems being faced in Manipur today lies in the controversial signing of the Manipur Merger Agreement between the Dominion of India and Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh of Manipur at Shillong on October 15, 1949 and the subsequent imposition of draconian Act like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
In 1948, the State administration had been taken over by the people of Manipur after holding an election under the Manipur State Constitution Act, 1947.So, on the day of signing the agreement, Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh had no authority and power to sign the agreement without the consent of the elected House, the party contended.
Maintaining that the problems in Manipur are two-fold, namely negation of development and political conflict which need to be resolved through political means, the party called upon the Union Home Minister to resolve the problems of Manipur politically and not through the barrels of gun.
Urging the Union Home Minister to send a Ministerial and Cabinet team to assess the ground reality and situation of Manipur, the party also demanded a white paper on the measures taken up by the Government of India to restore peace and security in Manipur.
Furthermore, the party requested the Union Home Minister for providing a photo copy of the Instrument of Accession executed between the Maharaja Bodhachandra of Manipur and Governor General of Dominion of India on August 11, 1947 for being kept as official record.