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| Governor Gurbachan Jagat addresses the peace seminar in Imphal on Tuesday. Telegraph picture |
Imphal, April 15 : The Okram Ibobi Singh government today organised a seminar on Peace Dividend, a first of its kind, as part of its initiative to bring peace in the state.
A brainchild of Governor Gurbachan Jagat and endorsed by Union home secretary G.K. Pillai during his recent visit to Imphal, the seminar is aimed at creating awareness among the people on what ails the state and what it is losing as a result.
This is also an attempt by the Ibobi Singh government to build a positive image of Manipur within and without the state.
Organised jointly by the Manipur home department and State Academy of Training, the state government plans to send a report to the Union home ministry with feedback of those participating in the series of deliberations for follow-up action.
DoNER secretary Jayati Chandra termed today’s seminar as the beginning of a “soul searching session” and said the idea on what was to be done for ushering peace and development in the state should come from the people.
From governor to social activists, who spoke in the seminar, unanimously agreed that the means of negotiation should be adopted.
“Civilised way of solving a problem is negotiation for which talks and discussion of the competing stakeholders is the first requisite. Only when we talk can we understand and appreciate the other’s viewpoint,” Jagat said.
Acknowledging that the path to peace was not easy, Jagat said there must be a start and today’s was a starting point, which was overdue for long.
“This is chief secretary’s first shot at peace and such meetings should be taken to districts and division level,” the governor said.
Sanjay Hazarika, an expert on the problems of the Northeast, recommended that the army should return by removing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. He was a member of the Jeevan Reddy Committee that reviewed the army act. “Army should be used as the last resort and not as the first,” he said.
He also said the government should talk to all militant groups in the region without setting any pre-condition.
Speakers at the seminar, including chief secretary D.S. Poonia, dwelled at length on the loss incurred by the state because of unrest, discontentment and strikes.
Maj. Gen. D.S. Hooda, GOC 57 Mountain Division, who also addressed the seminar, promised all help to the state government and also safety of people during counter-insurgency operations.
“We will first get feedback from the people on the prevailing situation and remedies. Then we will submit a report to the home ministry. As the governor suggested such seminars would be organised in other districts,” Poonia told The Telegraph after the inaugural session.