Shed differences and work together: HM

IMPHAL, June 16: The state Home Minister Gaikhangam has appealed to the various communities of the state to shed differences, stand together and work for the development of the state.

The Home Minister was speaking at a felicitation function today at Langol Tarung village.

The Langol Area Village Council, Thangmeiband today organized a felicitation programme of Home Minister Gaikhangam, Thangmeiband MLA Khumukcham Joykishan, Tamenglong MLA Janghemlung Panmei and Tamei MLA, Z Kikhonbou at the community hall of Thangmeiband Tarung village this morning.

Minister Gaikhangam who was also the chief guest of the function said that the felicitation programme has reminded him that he is elected by the people and that he should work for the welfare of the people.

Not only the four MLAs felicitated today, but all MLAs of the state should stop thinking only about their own constituencies and work for the unity of the state, he said.

The MLAs should collectively fight any obstacles arising in the state and bring unity among the people of the state, the Minister continued.

“We should stand together for the welfare, unity, development and integrity of the state”.

The Home Minister said, “Before pointing fingers at others, we should look at our own flaws and try to correct them first”.

Professing the need of unity between the hills and the valley, the Minister said, “We should learn from our past mistakes and try not to repeat them.”

He added, “The time has come for all the people of the state irrespective of community, tribe to leave aside any differences and work towards a uniform development of the state”.

He continued that the Tarung village had been inhabited by the tribal brothers even before the forest department was established in the state. Every place has its own history; however today people are not interested in the history of the places.

“We ought to understand the history of the land, before we start making judgments of the people living there”.

There are many instances where the existences of villages have saved forest cover.

Speaking at the felicitation, he continued that the government should look into the issue of illegal encroachment or forceful encroachment of private land by the state.

He also expressed his desire to save the Lamphelpat water body and expressed that the several complexes coming up and individual encroachment in the area have only harmed the place.

With the ever decreasing number of natural bodies like forest cover, water bodies in the state, there is a widespread fear of several species of animals, birds, flora and fauna going extinct, and as such we should save the natural bodies.

The present Congress government looks at the whole state with an equal eye, and believes in uniformed development of the entire state, he continued.

Tamenglong MLA Janghemlung Panmei said today’s function shows that all the people of the state are one.

He added, Tamenglong is one of the worst underdeveloped districts of the state and the people and the government should collectively work for the development of the district.

Tamei MLA Kikhonbou stressed the need for the communities to be broad minded and work for the overall development of the state.