Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, who won the silver medal in weightlifting at the Olympics, and Laishram Sarita Devi, who won the world boxing championship, were two of the 13 Meitei athletes who
threatened to return their honours from the government on Tuesday if the Centre did not protect Manipur’s “unity and integrity.”
According to them and the people, any attempt to split the state is unacceptable, and they pleaded with the Government to safeguard Manipur’s unity.
The sports legends said that “Kuki terrorists” had been destroying the state’s integrity by killing people and setting buildings on fire in a memorandum they sent to Union home minister Amit Shah at Raj Bhavan in Imphal.
They said that the government forces were allowing militants to attack defenceless citizens. They also denounced attacks in the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley’s border regions.
Along with weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri, and weightlifter Sarita Devi, who received the Arjuna Award, other signatories included footballer Oinam Bembem, who received both the Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award, as well as Olympic weightlifters Ngangbam Soniya Chanu and Th Sanamacha Chanu.
The other signatories are boxers M Suranjoy Singh (Arjuna awardee) and L Ibomcha Singh (Dronacharya awardee), judo Olympian and Arjuna awardee L Shushila Devi, and Arjuna awardees in wushu M Bimoljit, W Sandhyarani Devi, and Y Sanathoi Devi.
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