Arson at the office of United Committee Manipur (UCM), which has been steadfast in safeguarding Manipur’s integrity and fostering the welfare of all its communities, is considered as the third incident of burning Puya, UCM president Joychandra Konthoujam.
In the wake of the government’s failure to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the arson at the UCM office in Lamphelpat, Imphal, on the late night of February 23rd, a sit-in protest was organised in front of the office on Saturday.
Speaking to the media, Joychandra questioned the rationale behind setting ablaze the UCM office, which housed numerous crucial documents essential for defending Manipur’s integrity against external threats.
Among the irreplaceable documents destroyed were those concerning Kabow Valley and Manipur’s border pillars, lamented Joychandra.
He denounced the arson as the third instance of disregarding Manipur’s historic documents, following the burning of Puya in 1729 and the destruction of the Manipur Central Library in 2001.
The arson attack on the office of this apex body, initially established to safeguard Manipur’s integrity from agreements made without territorial limits, is deeply regrettable, remarked Joychandra, noting that the UCM office also serves as the headquarters for COCOMI, which is actively involved in countering the ongoing Kuki aggression that has persisted for nearly ten months.
Expressing bewilderment at the motives behind the arson attack on the UCM, an organisation dedicated to serving the people of Manipur since its inception, Joychandra called upon responsible groups or individuals to publicly clarify their actions.
He urged against repeating such unwarranted actions in the future and stressed the imperative of unity among all Manipur’s people to confront any threats to the state’s integrity.
Protesters brandished placards bearing messages such as “We condemn the arson attack on the UCM building by unidentified miscreants,” “Identify and punish the culprits,” and “End the conflict within our own community,” among others.
