National anthem and Hindi should be banned in Manipur: MANPAC

Guwahati, February 3, 2019:

The Manipur People against Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 (MANPAC) has called for the boycott of the Indian national anthem in the state as well as the boycott of the Hindi language to protest against the passing of the Bill at the Lok Sabha.

Addressing a press conference at New Checkon office, MANPAC co-convener Ningthouja Lancha said the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which was passed in the Lok Sabha is ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘colonial’ in attitude. The BJP-led NDA government is likely to pass the controversial CAB, 2016 as a supplementary bill during the budget session in the upper house on January 6 or 7, Lancha added.

The union government has no regard towards the sentiments of the North Eastern Region (NER) of India, Lancha continued, saying that although there is continuous protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the central government is paying no heed to the voices of the region.

He charged that the Union government is trying to demolish the cultural heritage of the entire North Eastern states of India.

MANPAC is ready to launch a mass rally with a theme ‘To dishonor the national symbol of the Union Government of India’ and Lancha further opined that the theme will be spread all over the North eastern region.

MANPAC has also decided to ban Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Home Minister Rajnath Singh from the state of Manipur.

“We take the passing of the bill as a racial war over the entire mongoloid people of the NE states. In order to face the racial war, MANPAC is on the verge of organizing a Northeastern state indigenous peopleS' united conference at the earliest. The Union government of India is betraying and discriminating the NE states, and MANPAC will seek help from United Nation (UN) and International bodies to save the mongoloid people of the entire NE states,” Lancha stated.

Lancha has appealed to all the people of the state to participate and support every activity taken up by MANPAC. MANPAC Convenor, Dilipkumar Yumnamcha said the repeated assurance given by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is a mockery to all NE states and especially the state of Manipur as even after submitting many memorandums and letters, the union government has still remained quiet.

In order to escalate the protest demonstrations against the bill, MANPAC will design an area wise demonstration and for the same, Dilip appealed to all the stakeholders to extend support and cooperate in the demonstrations.

He further added that MANPAC will conduct a signature campaign from all the MLAs/Ministers of Manipur in the near future.