Imphal: Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday recalled the history of Manipur and stressed the need for the people to remember every memorable event that occurred in the history of Manipur during the observation of the 51st Statehood Day at the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles Parade GroundÂ
The main highlight of the celebration was the general salute and inspection of the parade by the Chief Minister. A march past by 14 contingents and a performance by Combined Band Platoons were highlights of the celebration.
He mentioned the Chahi Taret Khutakpa (seven years of devastation) in the early 19th century, during which people faced hardship and the contribution of our brave forefathers to liberate Manipur from the Burmese. “We should all honour the selfless and heroic contributions of the great leaders of the time,” he added.
The Chief Minister further recalled the period of British colonialism in the state and the sacrifices made by brave sons of Manipur to defend the sovereignty of the motherland. Stating that we are the sons and daughters of those brave forefathers who possessed the qualities of conviction, commitment, and sacrifice, Biren urged everyone to try to live with dignity by helping the needy and rendering service for the development of the state.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the Central Government for their efforts to preserve the state’s identity and culture while also promoting development in the state. “We should be thankful to them for their concern,” he added. He also maintained that the law and order situation in the state has considerably improved and continued to say that many members of UG groups had been brought into the mainstream through dialogue and interaction, on the initiative of the central and state governments.
Lauding the contribution of the people working in different sectors to the faster development of the state, he stated that people from the state are representing the country in almost all the sectors, including defence, information technology, sports, and education, among others. He stated that the state government has been working hard to improve education and develop the higher education sector, mentioning the addition of much-needed MBBS seats in the state.
Biren further expressed that Manipur, with its pace of development, has been able to attract many domestic and foreign tourists. He informed that many visitors had acknowledged the progress and development of the state, and as such, the state will be holding events in connection with the G20 and even the grand finale of Femina Miss India this year.
Maintaining that the State Government aims to bring governance and development to far-flung rural and hill areas, he appreciated the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police of different districts for holding Meeyamgi Numit every month to attend to grievances and provide service to the people. Appealing to the public not to get involved in any anti-social activities or drug dealings, he assured that poppy plantations and the drug menace would be rooted out soon from the state.
Raising concern over large scale deforestation carried out in the state, N. Biren informed that a mass tree plantation campaign will be organised with the participation of all government officials, from March to July this year. He also directed the concerned authorities to arrange the tree saplings for the campaign.
Commandant, 2nd Battalion Manipur Rifles Victoria Yengkhom was the parade commander of today’s marching contingents. The march Previous contingents included the 6th Battalion Manipur Rifles, 3rd Indian Reserve Battalion, Combined Civil Police (Male) Imphal East and West, 9th Indian Reserve Mahila Battalion, Combined Civil Police (Female) Imphal East and West, Home Guard (Male), Combined VDF Imphal East and Imphal West, Combined CDO (Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur), Manipur Jail, Tourist
The Combined Band Platoons included the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles Band, the 2nd Battalion Manipur Rifles Band, the 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion Band, the 9th Indian Reserve (Mahila) Battalion Band, the Home Guard (Male and Female) Band, and the VDF Band Imphal West.
