Our Spl Correspondent
New Delhi: Contrary to apprehensions and bandh calls by different outfits, the visit of both Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to troubled Manipur was extremely successful, union minister of State Vincent H Pala who accompanied the duo, said on Saturday.
Talking to The Shillong Times on his return, Pala said that the gathering at all the places was not only huge but also spontaneous. The crowd cheered whenever there was a reference to the development of Northeast and protection of its territory, he said.
Besides Pala, others who accompanied Dr Singh and Sonia included Union Law Minister Salman Khursheed and Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanswamy. Union DONeR minister Paban Sing Ghatowar had arrived in Imphal on Friday.
While on his one-day visit to the troubled state, Dr Singh said that there was no plan for a ‘supra state’ for Nagas in the Northeast and appealed to militants to ensure peace in Manipur for speeding up development work.
“Manipur needs peace and tranquility for all round development. Different communities have been living here for centuries and there should not be any misunderstand among them,” Dr Singh told a public gathering in Imphal.
On recent media reports that the Centre was planning a ‘supra state’ for Nagas in the Northeast, he said, “There is no such proposal. Integrity of Manipur will be protected and the state is an important part of the union.”
There was applause from the crowd when he said that the protection of the territorial issue in Manipur was a very ‘sensitive one’.
Referring to the crippling economic blockades on two national highways the state had faced, both the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi said that people had suffered during the recent economic blockades and wanted all youths to work for normalcy in the state.
“There were no winners. The only losers were the common people.”
Pointing out that the economic blockades had severely affected the economy of the state he questioned whether it brought any benefit.
Stating that the Central government was working closely with the people of Manipur, Sonia said, “New Delhi may be far away from Imphal, but the UPA government under Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is sensitive.”
