Imphal: Change the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, one of the major demands of the “Youths of Manipur” (YoM) is outrightly rejected by Manipur cabinet minister L Susindro Meitei (Yaima).
Manipur Minister of Public Health Engineering Department, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Department, L Susindro was speaking to the newsmen at the Imphal airport on Sunday after returning from New Delhi where representatives of the YoM held another round of meetings with MLAs of the State at Manipur Bhavan, Delhi on Saturday afternoon. The meeting could not arrive at any decision.
“I am getting ready to boycott any meeting to be arranged by the YoM concerning the issue of changing the chief minister of Manipur,” the youth minister said in reply to a question raised by the reporter.
In the meeting in Delhi, the YoM raised the demands that include:
1. Formation of a Regional Party; 2. Change the Hon’ble Chief Minister and 3. Appointment of an Alternate Chief Minister.
Except for Chief Minister N Biren and Kshetrigao AC MLA Sheikh Norool Hassan, all the MLAs of the valley districts including former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi attended the meeting.
In this ongoing communal frenzy, it is irrelevant to put up the issue on change of guard of Manipur, L Susindro, who has been elected from Khurai assembly constituency said.
The Minister also raised an objection to the demand for the formation of a regional party. Formation of the new party at these trying hours is an invitation for the imposition of the President’s Rule in Manipur, L Sunsindro said, adding that more emphasis would be given to the early restoration of peace in this strife-torn state at the earliest.
The YoM came into existence on September 4, 2023, when thousands of youths, belonging to non-tribal communities in Manipur, took a vow to preserve the territorial integrity of Manipur and the early restoration of peace and normalcy in the state.
The youths, hailing from different parts of Manipur, gathered at the social welfare club ground at Khongman Zone-IV in Imphal East district.
The gathering also passed a six-point resolution after the conclusion of the meeting. It resolved to urge the MLAs and ministers to announce their stands in connection with the violence. Saturday’s meeting in Delhi was the third meeting between YoM representatives and MLAs elected from the valley districts.