Our Correspondent
Imphal, Dec. 16 (EMN): Paying tributes to martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971, Vijay Diwas was observed in Manipur on Sat.
The state-level programme was held in the Banquet Hall of the 1st battalion of the Manipur Rifles with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar Singh as the chief guest and functional president respectively.
Speaking during the occasion, Chief Minister Biren said that the observance would be meaningful only when every citizen of the country across contributes to collective efforts to protect the unity of the country.
“We all need to take a pledge to be ever ready to sacrifice our lives for the integrity of the nation on this day,” Biren said. He said that the people of the present generation should honour the spirit, courage and political will of the then government for taking the cudgels for East Pakistan to liberate it as Bangladesh despite the fact that the Indian Army was not that strong and well-equipped at that time.
He said external threats of the country or state can be warded off if the country is united adding that shunning provocation and ensuring entitled rights equally to the people are also equally important in maintaining unity.
Urging the bureaucrats, head of departments and all the subordinate employees to extend co-operation in making the present Government a clean, transparent and efficient one, he informed the gathering that the central government has sanctioned INR 130 crore as flood relief assistance to the state.
Besides, INR 1200 crore had been approved by the Centre under PMGSY apart from taking a decision to continue the non lapsable central pool of resources funding pattern of 90:10 till March, 2020.
Highlighting the connection of the Indo-Pak War of 1971 with the nation’s current security scenario, Deputy Chief Minister Joykumar said that threat to the country was neutralised up to a large extent due to the victory of the war.
Ministers, MLAs, administrative secretaries, heads of departments, high-ranking civil and police officials attended the function.
