Manipur polls: Six banned outfits announce boycott of prime minister’s visit to state
The Assembly elections will not decide the fate of Manipur, they said in a statement.
The Coordination Committee or CorCom of Manipur on Sunday announced the boycott of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign visit to the state on February 22, The Hindu reported.
In a statement, CorCom said that there will be a complete lockdown in the state till 1 pm until Modi leaves. But, emergency services and mediapersons have been exempted from the boycott.
The statement also said that the Assembly elections that are scheduled to take place on Febraury 28 and March 5, will not decide the fate of Kangleipak, The Imphal Times reported.
Kangleipak is the ancient name of Manipur state. Most of the parties in the CorCom want independence from India and restore it as a Kangleipak dominion.
The CorCom stated that manifestos of several political parties have omitted to include promises to protect the land and the people of the state, according to The Imphal Times.
It also said that the elections were a mere battle for power for which various criminal activities are taking place. The committee added that the polls were a tool to divide the people of the state.
Meanwhile, Manipur Bharatiya Janata Party President A Sharda Devi expressed concern over instances of violence ahead of polls, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. She appealed to the residents to ensure that the elections take place in a fair manner.
The CorCom is a conglomerate of seven banned outfits including the Kangleipak Communist Party, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Progressive, Revolutionary People’s Front, United National Liberation Front and United Peoples Party of Kangleipak.