Grace Dangmei, Indian woman footballer, has expressed serious concern over the ongoing unrest in the state and opined that forgiving each other in the face of conflict can bring peace in violence-hit Manipur.
“The situation has escalated and has been going on for quite long, almost a month’s time. There is a huge misunderstanding and miscommunication between two communities and that has led to the spread of intense communal hatred and building of false narratives among one another,” Grace said, speaking to the state Directorate of Imformation and Public Relations.
Expressing concern over the continuing unrest in the state, Grace stressed upon peaceful coexistence among the diverse communities in Manipur.
“Outside Manipur, the issue has been seen as a fight between religions i.e Hindus and Christians and one religion discriminating against another, which is very unfortunate and not true. I believe that there is only one God and we all should co-exist peacefully as brothers and sisters.”
Calling for a healthy, peaceful and drug-free Manipur, Grace pointed out that misunderstandings are bound to happen at some point of time in a state like Manipur which is made up of several tribes and communities.
“Sometimes, misunderstandings are bound to happen at some point of time and it happens anywhere. But it should be resolved at the earliest before it becomes worse. Many properties have been burnt and many lives have been lost. But we should forget and forgive. As a sportsperson, I want a healthy, peaceful and drug-free Manipur.”
Urging the the government to restore peace in her state at the earliest,in Manipur, she appealed to all the community leaders to actively work on ending the miscommunications and to bring back peace through dialogue.
Grace Dangmei is an Indian women’s international footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Women’s League side Gokulam Kerala and the India women’s national team. She was a part of the team at the 2014 Asian Games and at the 2016 South Asian Games where she scored two goals against Sri Lanka.
During the 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship, Grace scored a goal in the first half of the final, helping India clinch its fourth consecutive title at the tournament.
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