‘No violence, no speeches, no talking’: Manipuris in Pune to hold silent peace gathering

The gathering will be a “quiet affair” at the Vidyanchal School in Aundh, according to Kulabidhu Chanam, the president of AMAND (Association of Manipuri Diaspora).

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In this file image, people from Manipur raise slogans during their protest against the ongoing violence in Manipur, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. ( PTI Photo/ Representational)

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‘No violence, no speeches, no talking’: Manipuris in Pune to hold silent peace gathering

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AS RIOT-HIT Manipur attempts to recover from the violence over the past week, an association of the northeastern state’s diaspora in Pune is planning to hold a gathering of all communities in the city at 7 pm on Wednesday.

The gathering will be a “quiet affair” at the Vidyanchal School in Aundh, according to Kulabidhu Chanam, the president of AMAND (Association of Manipuri Diaspora).

“We wish to hold a peace gathering to pray for silence. We want an end to all violence and invite all the communities in Pune to join us in our prayers,” said Chanam, who is a petroleum geologist who has lived in Pune since his pursuit of graduate studies from Fergusson College.

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The other office-bearers of AMAND called on all people of Pune to join the gathering, and not just Manipuris in the city.

“We will light candles for peace and harmony. There will be no speeches, no talking. We simply wish to have unity and stability in Manipur as well as in Pune between all communities. There is no intention or need to discuss how the violence broke out,” said Suresh Chingtham, IT and Publicity Secretary of AMAND.

“We are expecting around 50 people as of now, but we would like to invite all Manipuris, irrespective of their community affiliation, to join the mass gathering. It would mean a lot to us if other people of Pune would join and be kind enough to show us support at such a time,” said L Rishikanta Meitei, General Secretary of AMAND.

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On Monday evening, a special flight carrying around 25 students from Maharashtra, who were stranded in Manipur, landed in Mumbai. The students have been pursuing higher education degrees in various institutions in the northeastern state.