By A Staff Reporter
IMPHAL | Sept 25
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson, Kh. Joykishan taking a jibe on the ruling BJP at the Centre opined that in India cows are much safer than people of the Northeastern region of the country.
Joykishan was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a sit-in-demonstration staged today at the market shed of Thangmeiband Pukhriachouba Mapal in connection with the missing case of Taorem Bitoo, who went missing in New Delhi.
Taorem Bitoo, 32, son of Taorem Tomcha of Thangmeiband Polem Leikai, went missing on September 13 evening. He went to Delhi for medical treatment of his ailing mother. On September 13 evening around 4.45 pm Bitoo went out for evening walk at Kishan Ghar, Vashant Kunj, New Delhi and has never returned since.
Although a missing complaint was reportedly lodged with the police station concerned by his family the next day (on September 14) there has been no breakthrough in the case.
It has been informed that the Thangmeiband Youth Organisation (TYO) also submitted a memorandum to the chief minister N. Biren Singh drawing his attention to trace the missing person but no positive result has been yielded till date.
Frustrated over the failure of the government to trace the whereabouts of Bitoo, residents of Thangmeiband including its MLA Kh. Joykishan Singh, staged a sit-in-demonstration drawing the attention of the state government to take necessary steps in the missing case.
Taking serious note of the series of incidents involving casualties of Manipuris in mainland India recently, Joykishan termed it a clear example of the discriminatory outlook of the Central government towards the people of the region.
He maintained that it is high time for the Northeast people to start dwelling into the aspect of being frequent targets in the mainland.
Against this backdrop, the silence of both the state and Central governments further amplified their true commitment towards the people, Joykishan maintained.
“Had the series of incident been meted out to cows the entire nation would come to a boil. This clearly indicates that cows are more valuable than lives of the NE people and we can safely assume that cows are much safer than our people”, charged Kishan.
He questioned whether atrocities against the NE people is what the “acche din” meant by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
The Thangmeiband MLA appealed to all the “indigenous” people in the state to stand as one in the fight against discrimination meted out against the people of the region.
The MLA also announced to extend his full co-operation to the concerned organisations of Thangmeiband in the fight for justice in the Bitoo case.
In the meantime, locals clubs of Thangmeiband also announced to organize a mass torch rally on September 29 evening.
