Imphal, July 3 :    Imphal, July 3:  A day after filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma threatened to boycott film festivals organised by the Union cultural affairs ministry, theatre director Ratan Thiyam and writer Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi today said they would return their Padmashree awards if the Centre did not revoke the territorial extension of its ceasefire with the NSCN(I-M). Addressing a joint press conference at the Chorus Theatre complex here, the duo said the Centre had compromised Manipur's 'territorial integrity' to appease the NSCN(I-M). 'We have been conferred the Padmashree in recognition of our services in the fields of theatre and literature. It is a great honour, but we will be compelled to return the awards if the Centre does not revoke its decision to extend the ceasefire,' Thiyam said. The theatre director said he would wait until July 8, the day Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Union home minister L.K. Advani are scheduled to review the ceasefire, before relinquishing his award. Echoing Thiyam's views, Binodini Devi said returning the Padmashree was a sacrifice she would willingly make. 'The martyrdom of 14 people on June 18 has awakened the Manipuris. I have no qualms in returning the Padmashree,' she said. The writer said the Centre had done injustice to Manipur by extending its ceasefire with the NSCN(I-M) to the hill districts of the state. Referring to the 2,000-year history of Manipur, Binodini Devi said, 'Ours is not merely a state, but a civilisation. We deserve to retain our legitimate territory. The situation will go from bad to worse if the Centre does not realise this soon.' Winner of many literary awards, Binodini Devi said the Centre should have taken Manipur into confidence before extending the ceasefire. 'Instead of consulting Manipur, the Centre unilaterally took a decision on the issue. The fallout of this mistake is there for all to see,' she added. Thiyam, too, criticised the Centre for extending the truce 'without territorial limits' in a hurry. 'It does not make sense to restore peace in a particular state by sacrificing the interests of another state. The Centre surely had no idea that the people of Manipur would rise as one against its decision to extend the ceasefire,' he said. The theatre director said he was 'greatly disturbed' by the death of 14 protesters in firing by CRPF personnel on June 18. Blaming politicians and bureaucrats at the Centre for the crisis in Manipur, he said, 'It is obvious that they do not know anything about our history and contributions to the development of the country. Had these people known anything about Manipur, they would not have committed the mistake of extending the ceasefire to the state.' The Centre's failure to constitute a team to assess the situation in Manipur was a measure of its apathy towards the state, Thiyam said. 'The National Democratic Alliance convened an emergent meeting following Karunanidhi's arrest and deputed Samata Party leader George Fernandes to assess the situation in Tamil Nadu. But why didn't the Centre send anyone to Manipur after 14 people were killed and the Assembly building reduced to ashes by protesters?' he asked. The theatre director said he would inform the Governor and the President about his decision to return the Padmashree if the ceasefire was not reviewed.