CM Biren raises racial discrimination issue during video conference with Prime Minister

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, April 11, 2020: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh has raised the issue of facing racial slur and unnecessary harassment by North East people amidst spread of coronavirus in different parts of the country during the video-conferencing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief ministers on Saturday.

Biren took to the notice of the Prime Minister and the chief ministers that around 30,000 people from Manipur alone are stuck in different parts of the country due to the current lockdown. He continued that many people from the North East are facing different types of harassment. Adding that a list of Manipuri students and people with the addresses where they are putting up is being forwarded to the states concerned, Biren pleaded the respective chief ministers to look after them. He also requested the Prime Minister to direct the states to do the needful to stop harassment of NE people. He also pleaded with the Prime Minister to make an arrangement to bring back those people of Manipur to their homes. The chief minister also said that Manipur Government is also taking care of safety and all other requirements for people of other states stranded in Manipur.

Regarding state’s preparedness to face pandemic Covid-19, Biren said facilities of 3200 beds are kept ready for quarantine. One dedicated block each in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences and Regional Institute of Medical Sciences of 50 beds each is earmarked for Covid-19 patients. More ventilators have been installed in both the hospitals, he informed. To increase the number of testing facilities, he said, permission is being sought from ICMR to allow testing for Covid-19 in some selected private diagnostic centres.

Stating that Manipur shares 398 km long porous border with Myanmar, the chief minister said that the state government had erected temporary fencing along the border to block illegal entry of foreigners.

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