Nilakanta was speaking during a discourse on “Role of Universities in the Movement for Updating Agenda Manipur” on Monday at the Commerce Department, MU in Imphal West which was jointly organised by the Manipur University Council DESAM and MUSU.

Since the merger of Manipur to India in 1949, various movements have been taken up for the rights of the people of the state but in return, the people are only getting a confidence crisis, culture of hopelessness and habit of negativity, the president said.

Meanwhile, most of the present leaders have been drowned in the trends of skepticism, opportunism and defeatism, he said, adding it is the need of the hour to establish an updated Agenda Manipur in consultation with all the stakeholders.

Stating that there will be no reliable leader left in the state if an intellectual movement does not lead the society, he pointed out the need of the intellectuals of the universities to take the responsibility of making an Agenda Manipur.

However, making an Agenda Manipur only in paper will be meaningless. It needs to be aware that the people give an impact to the masses and bring changes in the society, he added.

It is the duty of the intellectuals to teach critical thinking to the masses, he said, stressing on the need to focus on politics, economy and education.

The discourse was also attended by retired IAS RK Nimai; Editor of Imphal Review of Arts and Politics Pradip Phanjoubam; professors, assistant professors and scholars of MU, DM University and Indira Gandhi National Tribal University among others.