Working to safeguard indigenous peoples' identity, claims Biren

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 1: Chief Minister N Biren has stated that his Government has been working to safeguard the identity and dignity of the indigenous people for 1000 years from any kind of threats or challenges.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the golden jubilee celebration of Pokna- pham daily held today at JN Manipur Dance Academy here.
Saying that he never thought of joining electoral politics or fighting elections, N Biren recalled that he had a change of mind on seeing the dead bodies of people killed in the June 18, 2001 mass movement.
“It was this historic event which compelled me to retire from journalism and motivated me to join electoral politics to do some- thing for Manipur”, he said.
Biren went on to claim that he has been working hard to reflect the editorials  he wrote in the past in the various activities he has been undertaking as the Chief Minister of the State.
He also recalled that he won the Best Editor Award when late Wahengbam Nipamacha was serving the State’s Chief Minister.
At one point of time, Manipur remained quite backward in different sector. The condition of NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam highway) was extremely pathetic. There was not a single reliable RCC bridge over Barak, Makru and Irang rivers along the highway, Biren said.
“With the bridges breaking down every now and then, traffic flow along NH-37 was disrupted quite often. RCC bridges have been built over Barak, Makru and Irang bridges after I became the Chief Minister”, he continued.
In order to save Manipur from the jaws of drugs, the Government launched the War on Drugs. The Government has also taken up a number of steps to safeguard the indigenous people.
Considering the small size of Manipur’s territory,  limited number of Manipuri people among the top bureaucrats and the State’s economic backwardness, the State Government took up a number of steps with a firm determination to protect and uplift Manipuri people, he said.
The Chief Minister then appealed to all the people to support the Government’s struggle and give suggestions if there are any lapses or drawbacks on the part of the Government.
Manipur must be protected at all costs, he asserted.
There are reports of a large number of youth including girls taking to a new kind of drug. Many types of such drugs are now available in the State and this is a matter of grave concern, Biren said.
Saying that the Government has been struggling to root out the menace of drugs, he sought support of one and all to the Government’s War on Drugs.
Biren also reiterated that his Government will never retreat from the War on Drugs.
“The whole world should be made known that the game of Polo took birth on the soil of Manipur. Our ancestors had the ingenuity to tame horses and used them in playing the beautiful game. We should never forget that we are descendents of those brave and clever ancestors”, Biren said.
Poknapham Editor Aribam Robindro Sharma and the daily’s advisor Yumlembam Ibomcha too spoke at the golden jubilee celebration where IPR Minister Dr Sapam Ranjan Singh and MLA Kh Ibomcha were also present at guests of honour.
Senior staffs of Poknapham were also felicitated at the function.