Imphal, August 01 2009: A community hall newly constructed at the Thangal Ecological Park at Mayangkhang in Senapati district where the northern fort of the erstwhile Manipur kingdom was situated in the last war of independence in 1891 was inaugurated today.

Veterinary, Tribal Development and Hills Minister, DD Thaisii, Chairman of MANITRON Dr Ksh Ratan and advisor of Information Centre for Hill Areas, Manipur (ICHAM), K Modhumangol were chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively at the grand inaugural function held at the just opened community hall.

The park graced by a statue of Thangal General was developed with fund under the Centre's Special Plan Assistance.

ICHAM, NIUCAMO and Thangal Union jointly urged the SPF government in the state to develop the park in tandem with history.

The long cherished dream of developing the park with new infrastructure related with the history of Manipur has been fulfilled, ICHAM's president N Rajendro said while giving keynote address at the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister DD Thaisii said, the fact that people settled in both hills and plain are one has been shown by the history.

The king used to come to the hills and eat meat.

There were common social food habits among the people.

Even though there had been a gap of some periods of time, now no difference exists and time has come to concentrate on working together for bringing development in the state.

'We are one and Manipuri is the lingua franca of the state, the Minister said.

He said, the Chief Minister always thinks of the welfare of the hill people and is taking up various developmental programmes in the hills.

The demand for setting up a university in the hills is ready to be fulfilled shortly as the government has translated it into action.

He also said that the elections to the hill autonomous councils which have been held up for the last 20 years will also be held in the near future as the government is trying its best for the same.

The government is planning to hold the elections after the monsoon season.

Minister Thaisii appealed to the All Tribal Students' Union, Manipur (ATSUM) to suspend the economic blockade and talk with the government.

If the ATSUM continues to give hardship to the people, the government's limit of tolerance may be crossed.

Chairman of MANITRON, MLA Dr Kh Ratankumar, who presided over the function, said that by blaming each other, the turbulent situation in the state could not be solved.

Everyone living in the state needs to co-operate with each other for peaceful co-existence.

He also appealed to the gathering to re-build the bond of brotherhood that existed in the past among the various communities in the state.

Speaking on the occasion, ICHAM president, N Rajendro said, the park inaugurated today will be the meeting point of people of different communities living together in the state.

He also recalled the hindrance in the process of developing the park as some misunderstood it as a work of contract which is not true.

Developing the park was purely a departmental work of the government, he said.

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