Manipur unrest: Mirabai Chanu, other sportspersons demand protection of Manipur’s integrity, threaten to return medals

Olympic medalist Mirabai Chanu and ten other award-winning sportspersons from Manipur will submit a memorandum to Union Minister Amit Shah, demanding protection for their state’s integrity. The athletes have threatened to return their accolades should the state’s integrity be compromised. 

L Anita Chanu, N Kunjarani Devi (Padma Shri), L Sarita Devi and W Sandhyarani Devi (Padma Shri awardees) and S Mirabai Chanu (Padma Shri and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee) are among the 11 sports personalities that will be submitting the memorandum to Shah during his ongoing tour of the state. The memorandum is addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

"If Amit Shah does not give us an assurance about the protection of the integrity of Manipur, we will return our awards given by the Indian government," Anita Chanu said at a press conference in Imphal.

Chanu added that if the demand is not met, then the group will not represent India in the future. They will not train any prospects either. 

In the memorandum, the sportspersons have questioned the central security forces about controlling the violence despite "Kuki terrorists challenging the integrity of Manipur'' by killing people and burning houses.

"We condemn such attacks on unarmed civilians, especially in the peripheral areas of the valley districts," they added.

They have also demanded the restoration of peace and normalcy in the state and have called for the revocation of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups. 

"The demand to disintegrate Manipur is not acceptable under any circumstances," the memorandum said, demanding the deportation of illegal immigrants.

The sportspersons have urged the government to lift the blockade on NH 2 highway running from Dibrugarh in Assam to Tuipang in Mizoram. The block has bottlenecked the resources in the state, spiking prices. 

"Meiteis are allowed to settle only in the valley, which constitutes just about 10 per cent of the total geographical area of Manipur. Where will they settle after some years if the present system is allowed to continue? So, allow Meiteis to settle in the hills of Manipur," the memorandum said.

The group had attempted to submit the memorandum to Shah earlier, but the Union Home Minister had left for Churachandpur to meet the Kuki victims. 

"We have submitted a copy of the memorandum to Chief Minister N Biren Singh. He has assured us of arranging a meeting with Shah in the evening after his return from Churachandpur. We will hand over the memorandum to him then," Chanu said.