Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma said the State police had been closely observing the situation in Manipur for the past two months and was on alert to prevent any spillage of violence from the neighbouring State.
He said this while interacting with media persons on the sidelines of a media workshop on “9 years of Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan” organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Kohima at Hotel Japfü.
Though Nagaland was apprehensive about repercussions following the violence in Manipur, Sharma, however, said Nagaland had remained peaceful so far and that it could be the only state in the region which had not been affected by the crisis.
Speaking as the chief guest at the media workshop, Sharma acknowledged the sacrifices and contributions made by the media fraternity and urged them to be honest and not to shy away from reporting the truth. “Media plays a vital role in society by spreading awareness about government schemes and policies and therefore it should make sure that it does not spread harmful or misleading information at all cost,” DGP said.
He also lauded the state media as being very sensible in reporting the Manipur issue so far, which he said had contributed in keeping the situation calm and peaceful here.
On UCC: Even as the Centre’s move to impose Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has triggered debate across the country, Rupin Sharma maintained that it may be “premature to comment” on the issue as the contents were unclear and a final draft was yet to be made.
Sharma said that the state government would propose what was best for the people and take the correct stand when a draft on the same was finalised by the Centre. DGP has, therefore, urged the people to trust in the government.
Meanwhile, Naga Hoho general secretary, K Elu Ndang, who graced the event as guest of honour, called for a concerted effort from the North Eastern states to collectively work together in bringing about a solution to the Manipur crisis.
He expressed sadness at the sight of violence in the neighbouring state and urged the Centre, the state government and Nagas to assist in restoring lasting peace.
Ndang further urged upon the Prime Minister Narendra Modi “to relook at what he had stated and committed to the Naga people”. He also wished that the observation of on “9 years of Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan” could also be more meaningful if the Naga political issued could be resolved during this period.
Also, commenting on the issue of UCC, Ndang urged the government of India to reconsider the decision as UCC may not be suitable to the Nagas and also the tribal people of the country.
Ndang, however, urged the Centre to resolve the Naga political issue as it was the “top priority” for the people right now.
The event’s special guest, Kohima Press Club (KPC) general secretary, Atono Tsükrü Kense, thanked the PIB for organizing the workshop. She expressed optimism that the workshop would be a valuable platform for the media fraternity.
Later, during the technical session, resource persons from different government departments gave presentations on the various schemes and policies that have been implemented in the state.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by Tiamongla Kichu, while welcome address was delivered by PIB regional director, Dr Engan Pame. Later vote of thanks was proposed by PIB assistant director, K Sonikumar Singh.
In the technical session, joint director Agriculture Ketsukha Kath gave an overview of the CSS scheme implemented by Agri department among other schemes.
Senior Programme officer Er. Samuel Terieng and V. Semou gave an overview of activities implemented by IT and Communication department and also highlighted the achievements of the department like- access to common scholarship portal, CM Health insurance scheme, state data centre, online Inner Line Permit etc. The program was moderated by K Sonikumar Singh.