United NGOs Mission, Manipur (UNM-M) on Thursday issued a public clarification regarding the meeting on ‘Humanitarian Services’ organised by All Manipur Christian Organisation (AMCO) in Guwahati last Friday.
UNMM secretary L Pishak, NEDF advisor U Nobokishore and social commentator Dhanabir Laisham, in a joint release clarified that they participated the meet on the invitation by AMCO to discuss about humanitarian services which is a need of the hour as large-scale civilian population mainly those internally displaced and daily wage earners are suffering due to the prevailing conflict.
It asserted that the participation was on the individual level and not as a representative of the Meitei community or a representative of the Meitei civil society. Dhanabir Laishram raised the issue of the suffering faced by the internally displaced people and daily wage earners, their livelihoods and education, it stated.
It maintained that the meeting was solely on Humanitarian Services and Peace Prayer but not for ‘Peace Talk or Negotiations’. It noted the sentiment and concerns of the people and further expressed their respects.
It may be recalled that as per a release issued by AMCO president Simon Raomai on Wednesday, the meet was organised with an intention to discuss the humanitarian issue and assistance.
It said that as such ‘some friends and likeminded people from Meitei, Kuki Zo and Tamil community’ were invited to take stock of their first-hand experiences concerning the internally displaced people. No Pastors from Zo Kukis and Meiteis were invited nor anyone to represent their own community or organisation, it maintained.
It had further said that the meeting discussed means to reduce violence, protect civilians, and make health and educational institutions accessible, especially to women and children respectively and also deliberated on the economy.
It asserted that the meeting cannot be termed as a peace talk, adding that it was not a peace meeting between Kuki Zo and Meitei, but a mere discussion on how and what to do being a Church organisation towards the prevailing situation and pray for restoration of peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest.
