The 21-day Long March for National Regeneration (Eikhoigi Anouba Lang-on gi Paojel Puba Lamsang Khongchat), which will cover violence-hit areas in the five valley districts of Manipur, was flagged off from Kangla, Imphal on Wednesday.
The rally has been organised by Manipur Youth League (MAYOL) and will conclude on January 9, 2024.
Convenor of Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) Jeetendra Ningomba flagged off the long march on Wednesday morning after the torch bearer received the holy flames from Kangla.
Around 50 MAYOL volunteers are taking part in the long march.
On the first day of the march, the volunteers started from Northern Kangla gate and made a brief pit stop at Heingang in Imphal East.
From there, the volunteers made their way to Sekmai, Khurkhul and several other villages. The main objective of the long march is to spread the message of unity and integrity in isolated areas of the valley districts.
Speaking on the sidelines of the flag off MAYOL convenor Asem Prince lamented the deteriorating condition of every development markers in Manipur.
“The feeble health of the social, political and economic sector has kept us oppressed. Out right to self determination has been hindered because of lagging growth,” he said.
He stated that the main objective of the march was to spread the message of the people to the people.
“The Kukis have been on violent campaign since May 3 to fracture the ancestral territory of Manipur. We cannot let this happen at any cost as such we must unite,” he said.
He highlighted that it was time for the people to awaken the spirit of patriotism and strive to build social unity among the people.
He stated that long march will cover several villages in the five valley districts and discourse with the people to ascertain the trajectory of the society.
Social unity and integrity among the people is the vital need of the hour, he added.
The long march will conclude on January 9 at the memorial site of Maharaj Gambhir Singh at Canchipur, Imphal West.
Representatives of several CSOs of Manipur were present during the flag-off ceremony.
