Manipur— A group of eleven Manipur-based athletes, including renowned Olympians, have submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking his urgent assistance in resolving the state’s present issue.
The signatories of the letter, which prominently include Tokyo Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu, have issued a warning that they would be required to return their arduously earned honours and medals if the situation does not quickly improve.
Coincidentally, the proclamation by Manipuri athletes occurred on the very day when renowned wrestlers such as Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and others traveled to Haridwar to submerge their medals, symbolizing an act of dissent and dissatisfaction towards the mistreatment they experienced from the Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar on May 28. These wrestlers have been engaged in a protest for more than a month, urging for measures to be taken against parliamentarian and WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh over allegations of sexual exploitation.
The athletes, including distinguished weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, former Indian women’s football team captain Oinam Bembem Devi, and boxer L Sarita Devi, Olympian Ngangbam Soniya Chanu, Wushu athlete M Bimoljit, among others, detailed their concerns and demanded quick action in a memorandum that was submitted.
Their main demand is the reopening of the National Highway-2, which has been shut down for weeks and caused severe price increases in necessities while aggravating the general populace.
The athletes emphasise their ardent love for India by expressing their dedication to the country and their desire to enhance the glory of the country via sport. They do emphasise that if their request for help is ignored, they will regretfully return their well-earned honours as a show of disapproval.
The athletes also discussed the grave threats to Manipur’s stability that persistent disturbances pose in their letter.
The athletes denounced the Kuki militant organisations’ actions, which have threatened the state’s peace and stability and resulted in the deaths of innocent people and the damage of homes. Athletes demanded that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with these groups be revoked and that peace and normalcy be quickly restored. The memorandum also emphasises the significance of preserving Manipur’s integrity and unity, rejecting any call for the disintegration of the state.
The athletes also raised awareness of the issues facing the Meetei community, who are currently only allowed to settle in 10% of Manipur’s territory. They pleaded with the authorities to permit Meeteis to dwell in Manipur’s hills as well.
The outbreak of ethnic conflicts on May 3 has resulted in the loss of 80 lives, with hundreds of individuals sustaining injuries. Additionally, around 40 thousand people have been compelled to flee to neighboring states. The ongoing internet ban continues to be enforced, further exacerbating the situation.
Billiards champion Michael Ferreira declined the Padma Shri in 1981 because he felt that cricketer Sunil Gavaskar receiving the higher honor of Padma Bhushan was unfair. Ferreira believed his achievements in billiards were on par with Gavaskar's in cricket and deserved equal recognition. However, he accepted a Padma Bhushan in 1983.
The Flying Sikh- Milkha Singh refused the award in 2001, stating that after receiving the more prestigious Padma Shri in 1958, accepting a less-prestigious award was meaningless. He believed the award had lost its prestige due to being given to low-caliber athletes and becoming heavily politicized.
Manipur boxer Laishram Sarita Devi, who had received the Arjuna award in 2009, returned it in September 2010 as a protest against corruption in the government's handling of Indian sports.
In January 2021, a 23-year old athlete Mandeep Singh from Moga announced on Wednesday to return his four medals won in 2018 and 2019 in athletics at Reliance Foundation Youth Sports in support of the famous farmers agitation.
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