Asem Bhakta, Special Correspondent North East
Pune: Iconic trade unionist of the nation, Dr Babasaheb Pandurang Adhav will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other Central leaders and Manipur chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, joining the ranks of the nation’s great minds in advocating for the restoration of peace in the strife-ravaged state.
Fondly called Baba, the nonagenarian working class hero said that they will not remain mum when Manipur is on the boil for the past 17 months, claiming around 240 lives, forcing over 60,000 people to take refuge at relief camps and leaving a trail of destruction across the state.
“Given the tense situation besetting Manipur for the last seventeen months with no sign of restoration of peace, we will not stay as mute spectators,” Baba told a group of senior journalists from Manipur, in Pune during a discussion on Manipur crisis on October 30.
The programme , also joined by a host of lawyers and social activists, was held under the aegis of Sarhad, a prominent social, educational and cultural organization working for the welfare of the people living in strife-torn border areas of the nation and Mahatma Jotirao Phule Samata Pratishthan.
“We want peace to be restored in Manipur. We will write to PM Narendra Modi , Union home minister Amit Shah other Central leaders as well as Manipur CM to extend their utmost efforts to bring back peace in Manipur at the earliest,” said Baba also a prominent social reformer.
The visiting scribes also narrated the blow-by-blow of the protracted conflict and the government’s failure to resolve it during the session.
Baba (94) expressed discontentment over what he termed as the PM’s failure to bring solution to the crisis, saying that he (PM) “didn’t have time to visit Manipur to stop the violence”, but he moved to war-torn Ukraine as a peace builder .
Echoing Baba, renowned social activist Mohan Wadekar said that “the PM is not paying attention to Manipur crisis. We will urge him for restoration of peace and normalcy at the earliest.”
“We have conducted several rallies to end Manipur turmoil,” said Wadekar, also a prominent advocate, adding that the urgent need of the hour to halt violence and bring peace and normalcy in the northeastern state.
The visiting scribes include Brojendro Ningombam, K Sarojkumar Sharma and Keisham Yaiphaba.
