PCRM dwells on community life on 8th anniv

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 18 : People’s Campaign for Resurgent Manipur (PCRM) has observed its eighth anniversary today at Sinam Shyama Town Hall, Chingmeirong, Imphal.
PCRM was launched on October 18 in 2011 by groups of citizens of and from Manipur who are concerned with the prevailing state of affairs in the State and thereby seeking a change towards a new and better Manipur- as collective and individuals- can live with dignity and well-being.
Its aims to fight against the private and vested interests that seek to undermine the basic fabric of a collective life in Manipur and bring about a new political culture wherein public morality and issues of public importance play significant role in society and polity, said a statement issued by PCRM today.
Correspondingly, the campaign seeks to cultivate a culture of dialogue and debate in order to generate informed opinions and choices on public issues and make the political class, public institutions and leaders accountable to the citizens as individuals and as a collective.
In pursuance of the above aims, the Campaign has been seeking to encourage and cultivate the involvement of private citizens in the affairs of the collective, and engage and monitor the functioning of public offices and institutions as well as the ways in which public officials and elected representatives of the people respond to or address the issues of public importance.
As a part of its campaign, PCRM has also been seeking to intervene in Assembly elections since 2012 by organizing public meetings, poster campaign, distributing pamphlets and putting up billboards for a clean and issue based election in the state. Each preceeding anniversary of the campaign has also been marked by organizing conclaves/seminars and panel discussion on issues of public importance.
Similarly, this year’s eighth anniversary was also marked by a panel discussion on “Forms of Belonging and Solidarity: Reflection on Community Life of Leikai/ Khun.
The panelists were Irina Ningthoujam, Asst Professor, Mizoram University, Chinglen Meisnam, Asst. Professor, Manipur University and Ramanand Wangkheirakpam, Indigenous Perspectives  and Secy, Singlup (Chingmeirong) and the session was chaired by filmmaker and activist, Lancha Ningthouja.
The panel deliberated on the eroding nature of community life- the sense of belonging, sharing and solidarity, at the level of leikais/khun in a State which is already characterized by estranged inter-community relations that threatens the integrity of the State, added the statement.
Many concerned citizens also participated in the deliberation.
Speaking in the panel, Dr Irina Ningthoujam said, “Existence of leikai level organizations like singlup not only has the potential of preserving leikai as collective and generate social capital but can also be a crucial agent of better urban service delivery in a transparent and accountable manner”.
Dr Chinglen Meisnam brought out the role of globalization and modern economic life in the erosion of community based traditional institutions and he emphasized the need to strengthen institutions like singlup by aligning with State level cultural policy.
Ramanand Wankheirakpam, giving example of Chingmeirong locality, elaborated the ways in which traditional institutions like singlup can be re-invented to serve various interests of community life.
Ningthoujam Lancha, in his concluding remarks as the chair, brought out the significance and relevance of various traditional institutions of community life in Manipur.
PCRM has decided to pursue this issue as a part of its larger campaign for a resurgent Manipur, added the statement.