Imphal, Aug 13 (IANS) Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, on Wednesday, urged people to remain united irrespective of ideology and political mindset to restore peace and normalcy in the state.

"We have to ensure peaceful coexistence in the state," he said.

Manipur Congress President, Keisham Meghachandra Singh, on Wednesday, claimed that the Union government has no real and realistic roadmap to restore peace in Manipur, where ethnic conflicts between Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribals have been devastating since May 2023.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 134th Patriots Day celebrations, former Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh said that despite knowing that they would be defeated, Yubraj Tikendrajit, Thangal General, Chirai Naga, and others fought a war in 1891 against the British empire.

"Patriots Day is a commemoration to show respect and pay tribute to those warriors who sacrificed their lives for their motherland in the historic battle 134 years ago. Manipur has the legacy of those forefathers," said Biren Singh, who quit the Chief Ministerial post on February 9, days before the President's Rule was imposed in the state due to prolonged ethnic violence.

He added that despite different political ideologies, diverse thinking and separate perspectives, people must unite for the greater interest of the state and restore peace and normalcy with joint efforts.

"We have to re-establish peace and harmony for the interest of the future generation. I urge all to come forward unitedly for the sake of development of the state and welfare of all," he said.

The former Chief Minister earlier said that a popular government must be elected at the earliest to take forward the development of the state.

Biren Singh, earlier in the day, along with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, MLAs, and senior leaders paid floral tributes to Yuvraj Bir Tikendrajit Singh and other patriots at the state-level event commemorating the fallen freedom fighters of the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891.

Patriots Day is observed every year in Manipur on August 13 to commemorate the hanging of Bir Tikendrajit and Thangal General by the British on this day in 1891 for waging war against the British empire.

State Congress President, while separately attending the Patriots Day celebrations at Congress Bhavan, said that the Union government has no practical roadmap to restore peace in the state.

He added that the Central government did not allocate sufficient funds for rebuilding damaged houses and properties of the violence-affected people and to rehabilitate the displaced people.

To undertake development, rebuild the damaged houses and to provide security to the affected people, sufficient funds are required from the Centre, the Congress leader said.

Meghachandra Singh said that former Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh had earlier announced the resettlement of violence-hit displaced people in three phases by December this year.

However, there is not much initiative from the state government to resettle the displaced people in their villages, Singh said, who is also the member of the Manipur Assembly.

--IANS

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