Newmai News Network
Imphal | August 7
Left parties in Manipur joined the nationwide protest on Wednesday against scrapping of Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution and re-organising Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories.
To mark the joining of the nationwide protest, leaders and members of the Left parties –CPI, CPI (M), RSP and AIFB) – held a “protest meeting” at Irawat Bhavan complex, Imphal.
Speaking at the protest meeting, CPI Manipur State Council secretary L Sotinkumar said that August 5, the day on which the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre scrapped Article 370 of Constitution, will be remembered as “dark day” in the history of the country.
"The move of the Centre showed that BJP-led government at the Centre is becoming dictatorship and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behaving like a dictator", he said. The CPI leader added that the Centre's attitude has given us strong apprehension that it will also start targeting the Northeastern states which are accorded special provision under Article 371 of the Indian Constitution.
Most states in the Northeast region are accorded special provisions under Article 371 of the Indian Constitution wherein Article 371(A), 371(B), 371(C), 371 (F), 371(G), 371(H) have been applied to Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh respectively.
"The BJP-led government may target the Northeast states", Sotinkumar cautioned.
Sotinkumar then alleged that the latest move of scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution was at a time, people of the state were worried about the territorial integrity of Manipur after the then interlocutor of Naga peace talks RN Ravi was appointed as Governor of Nagaland.
Taking part in the protest meeting, CPI national executive member, Dr M Nara Singh said that abrogation of the Article 370 was nothing but “strangulation of democracy” and will serve to only to further the “alienation” of the people of the region. He added that there was nothing to surprise when the BJP "translated its communal politics into action".
"The abrogation of Article 370 and reducing Jammu and Kashmir into the status of Union Territory is a move to convert the region into a Hindu state," the CPI leader added.
Also speaking on the occasion, CPI (M) Manipur state secretary, Ksh Shanta alleged that the Modi government has betrayed the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is an attack on the Indian Constitution and the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
