A solidarity meet for the victims and survivors of the Manipur pogrom was held at 5.30- 7.30 pm, Wednesday, 17 May, M J Hall, The Siasat Daily compound, Abids.
The meet was organised by the Telangana Solidarity Forum and Christian organisations. Moderated by Sarah Mathews, prominent speakers such as Bishop Paothang Haokip- Good Shepherd Community Churches. Fr. Raju Alex- Deputy Secretary of Telugu Catholics’ Bishops’ Council, Rev Prashanth Babu- Youth Secretary, Telangana Council of Churches, Dr. Sardar Sajjan Singh- subcommittee member, SGPC, Amritsar, Dr. Kumar- BAMCEF, Advocate M A Shakeel, Robert Surya Prakash- National Council of Baptist Churches, Jasveen Jairath, and other activists spoke about the ground reality of the violence against the minority Christian community of Manipur.
Reflecting the Ganga- Jamuni tehzeeb of Hyderabad, the audience cut across region, religion and caste. The meeting was profound and solemn.
A number of important recommendations were recorded. They are as follows:
- Medical aid is of paramount importance. It should be made available by all possible means.
- Other aid such clothing and other necessities to be collected and sent to Manipur.
- Legal aid on a consistent basis – legal teams to work on the field collecting data and affidavits from people for lost documents and possessions, FIRs to be filed against atrocities committed.
- The National Human Rights and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to be approached for redressal.
- Victims to be assisted in getting government relief.
- Settlement of displaced people.
Advocacy of such issues and a national network for the same are urgently required.
The role of the social media in spreading false propaganda was also discussed.
The forum also passed a resolution:
“We the members of this forum demand that the National Human Rights Commission visits Manipur and renders all necessary support and protects the people of the Kuki community and directs the state to take stern action against the perpetrators. “
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