All Manipur United Clubs Organisation, a platform of several civil organisations in Manipur on Monday observed the 17th anniversary of the Integrity day at Imphal.
On August 4, 1997 there was a massive procession in and around Imphal pledging to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur. It had also a reflection of August 4, 1972 when United Naga Integration Council was merged to Congress. This little known political party had an open agenda of disintegrating Manipur so as to merge the "Naga areas of Manipur" to Nagaland.
Public leaders and social workers offered floral tributes to the Integrity pillar in the Imphal town. The deaths of 18 persons on June 18, 2001 while agitating for the protection of the territory of Manipur were also remembered.
Several speakers underlined the imperative need to protect the territory of Manipur which has a written chronicle of over 2,000 years.
They also said that there are now two groups in Manipur. While one group is all for the protection of the territorial integrity, the other group is demanding the vivisection of Manipur to make "alternative arrangement" for the Nagas.
The Naga groups say that they want an alternative arrangement since they no longer want to stay under the "communal government led by Okram Ibobi Singh".
