Bringing long-standing tensions between the two leaders to the fore again, former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Monday wrote a long social media post, accusing former ally and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma of “interfering” in Manipur’s “internal affairs”. Singh, who resigned as the CM of the strife-torn state on February 9, shared a 43-second clip of Sangma’s late father, P A Sangma, speaking in Lok Sabha in 2014 and lending support to the formation of smaller states. In the clip, P A Sangma refers to the demand for several separate states, saying “Gorkhaland, Kamatapur, Bodoland, Karbi Anglong, Garoland, my own tribe, Dimasa, Kukiland, so many demands are there…” Referring to this clip, Singh wrote: “The late Shri P A Sangma once advocated for dividing the Northeast into smaller states along ethnic lines, a dangerous idea that threatened the unity of our nation. Today, we are seeing similar attempts to interfere in Manipur’s internal affairs to destabilise the state.” Through the course of the ongoing conflict in Manipur, Kuki-Zomi groups have been demanding a “separate administration” structure, separate from the Meitei-dominated state government based in Imphal. The National People’s Party, of which Conrad Sangma is the president, is a part of the BJP-led NDA and had seven MLAs in Manipur’s 60-seat Assembly. One of them recently died, and the party now has six MLAs in Manipur. It was a part of the Biren Singh-led Manipur government until November last year, when Sangma withdrew support to the Manipur government citing its failure to “restore normalcy” and expressing “deep concern”. Sangma was particularly critical of Singh’s leadership and had told The Indian Express that a “change of guard” was required in the state and that President’s rule should be put in place. On Monday, Singh said in a post in which he tagged Sangma, “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. Shri @SangmaConrad should know that the violence was not spontaneous; it was instigated by those who feel threatened and insecure by this kind of progress.” “Does Mr Conrad Sangma know that Manipur had already initiated border fencing? That the Free Movement Regime (FMR) is now strictly regulated? Has he noticed the alarming rise in unrecognised villages within Manipur’s borders? It must be noted that when Manipur was facing these serious challenges, others refrained from interfering in our internal affairs. The same courtesy was expected, yet some chose a different path, one driven by narrow interests rather than genuine concern. Today, various groups across the Northeast are beginning to recognise the seriousness of FMR, ILP and border security. Manipur’s experiences should serve as a lesson, not a platform for political posturing,” Singh wrote. Sangma responded to Singh’s post within hours, saying it was “unfortunate” that he had “dragged the name” of P A Sangma. “(P A) Sangma ji has always fought for the people of the Northeast, was a strong advocate for different issues and rights of the people of the Northeast. At this time, everyone’s efforts should be towards the restoration of peace and harmony in Manipur and not indulging in political posturing. We all have to work together. I once again appeal to everyone to work for the betterment of the people of Manipur. This is what (L) P A Sangma ji would have wanted,” Conrad Sangma wrote. Different NPP leaders said there was no recent occurance that could have prompted Singh’s statements pointed at Sangma. Biren Singh’s former deputy CM and now vocal critic, Yumnam Joykumar Singh, NPP’s vice-president, attributed the statement to “frustration”. “I don’t think that anything happened recently that should provoke him to make any statement. We had withdrawn support to his government because we had given him enough time to control the situation, but instead of taking responsibility and working towards it, he would keep claiming that things are becoming normal and peaceful. Our move may have made the BJP MLAs, who did not see eye-to-eye with him, finally bold enough to push for his removal, so maybe he is resentful about that,” Yumnam Joykumar Singh told The Indian Express. After Biren Singh’s resignation, which was largely the outcome of pressure from BJP MLAs in the state dissenting against his leadership, Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13.
