Newmai News Network
Imphal, Nov 14: Former Manipur chief minister and senior Congress leader Okram Ibobi Singh stressed the urgent need for taking up a special measure for children affected by ongoing violence in Manipur.
Ibobi Singh was talking to the media on the sideline of the celebration of the 134th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India which the country, celebrated as Children’s Day at Imphal Congress Bhavan today.
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As per a government report, over 12,694 children affected by the ongoing violence erupted on May 3 last are lodging at different relief camps across the violent affected districts.
The former chief minister said that being unable to resolve the crisis even after more than six months is a very unfortunate one.
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“If there is a problem, to find ways to resolve the problems is very much a must and it is an indispensable task of the government to find the ways,” he said.
“However, even after more than six months, both the Centre and the state government are not taking up any step to resolve the crisis”, he lamented.
“In such a situation, there is the need for a concerted effort to resolve the crisis with the notion that there is no room for violence in a democratic country,” he added.
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The violence erupted on May 3 last and rendered homeless to thousands of people after their houses were torched. Thousands of people are currently taking shelter at various relief camps.
Hundreds of children are among the displaced people taking shelter in the relief camps. Most of the children suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder owing to their exposure to the violence coupled with prolonged confinement to the relief camp made the children, he observed.
The former chief minister drew the attention of the state government to take up special measures for these children affected by the violence to address their emotional toll.
He said that there is the urgent need for taking up certain steps to address the plights of the children affected by the violence as they are prone to suffering from mental health problems.
He observed that many children staying in the relief camps are suffering from mental trauma. In such a situation, the government needs to give special emphasis to ensure the children have a normal life.
The government must take this condition of the children seriously as they are the future pillars of the nation, Ibobi also said.
Reiterating that a concerted effort is the need of the hour, the former chief minister said that all should support the efforts to resettle the displaced people.
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The Congress supported various programmes initiated by the government for the welfare of the displaced people staying in the relief camps, he said.
“However, the Congress would like to suggest that instead of constructing temporary shelter houses for the displaced people, it would be better on the part of the government to take up a long lasting arrangement,” he suggested.
Earlier, prominent leaders of the Congress including MPCC president K Meghachandra, CLP leader and former chief minister O Ibobi, CWC member Gaikhangam and other led the party members and workers in paying floral tribute to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary at Congress Bhawan, Imphal.
To mark the celebration of Children’s Day, party leaders and members also visited some relief camps and offered Children’s Day gifts to the children staying there.
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