GUWAHATI: Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said former Lok Sabha speaker, the late PA Sangma, once advocated the “dangerous idea” of dividing the Northeast into smaller states on ethnic lines.Singh alleged that similar attempts were being made today to interfere in Manipur’s internal affairs to destabilise the state. Taking to X, he shared a video of Sangma speaking in the Parliament in 2014 where he can be heard saying, “I think we must go for smaller states. I am in favour of smaller states.”Singh wrote, “Manipur’s situation is unique. This state is home to several small, vulnerable indigenous communities, whose protection necessitated the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP). The present crisis is not political at its core. It stems from a complex mix of challenges: the drug menace, illegal immigration, destruction of forests, and the systematic pursuit of power by select groups.”“After years of effort to safeguard our indigenous populations, we have begun to make real progress such as the implementation of ILP, a hard-won achievement,” he further wrote.
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