‘Is Manipur a part of India? If yes, why is PM silent’: asks all-party team

The delegation includes Manipur chiefs of the Congress, JD(U), CPI, CPM, RSP, All India Forward Bloc, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), Aam Aadmi Party and NCP.

Addressing the media at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, the senior Congress leader said: “Since May 3rd, Manipur has been burning, which has continued till date. Every day, there is an incident of violence. Even Union minister R K Ranjan’s home has been attacked. There is hue and cry in the state and especially in the relief camps, where over 20,000 people, including women and children, have taken shelter. But till date, the Prime Minister has not expressed anything about Manipur. We (as people of Manipur) feel, ‘Is Manipur a part of India, or not?’. If it is a part of India, then the PM should have expressed something, at least through a tweet.’’

Singh said that the delegation had prepared a memorandum, which it hopes to submit to Modi soon. “We are not here to politicise the situation. We are only here to ask that peace be restored as soon as possible. Please help us. After peace is restored, then the next step can be taken and dialogue between the two communities can be initiated.”

When asked what kind of action the government needed to take, Singh said that it was up to the Centre to decide that.

Senior Congress leader and Manipur in-charge Jairam Ramesh brought up a similar crisis in Manipur from the time of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Manipur had broken out in violence then after the ceasefire agreement with the NSCN (I-M) was extended to the state. An all-party delegation from Manipur had at the time also sought the audience of Vajpayee.

“Exactly 22 years ago, on June 18, 2001, Manipur was burning. Imphal was burning. The Vidhan Sabha had been set on fire. The Speaker’s bungalow had been set on fire. The CM’s Secretariat had been set on fire. This was followed by a three-month blockade. When an all-party delegation requested Vajpayee for a meeting, within six days, he met them. There is still a PIB release from the PMO on this meeting. The delegation at the time submitted a memorandum and gave an account of the situation in Manipur. PM Vajpayee appealed to the people of Manipur to maintain calm and to help the administration in restoring
peace,’’ said Ramesh.

Ramesh added that when the violence continued, PM Vajpayee met the delegation a second time on July 8, after which he issued an appeal for peace once more, expressing his personal grief and that of the people of the country, on the loss of lives in the state. Vajpayee had also directed a review of the ceasefire agreement as well as its extension to Manipur.

“Today, we are sitting and waiting for 40 days. There has been no statement, no message and no appeal from the Prime Minister,’’ Ramesh said, calling the BJP-led state government in Manipur “a complete failure’’ in handling the conflict. Despite Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state, violence has continued unabated, he said.

Five-time MLA and four-time minister Nimaichand Luwang from the Republican Party of India said: “Everyone knows what has happened in Manipur. There are over 120 people dead, possibly more, since many are missing. There are more than 400 injured and over 60,000 people have been displaced. Many people have fled to Mizoram, Assam, Delhi etc. Over 5,000 homes have been burnt to the ground, rendering many people homeless. The Home Minister came to Manipur on May 29, after 26 days of the conflict. They were too busy in the Karnataka elections. People of Manipur expected some peace after the Home Minister’s visit, but this did not happen. Meanwhile, state BJP leaders have been very proud that the Home Minister came to Manipur and stayed for three whole days. And yet, while he was there, violence continued and homes were being burnt. After his visit, the violence has continued. People’s hopes have been dashed.’’

Also accusing the state administration of having “failed miserably’’, Luwang added that the people of the state believe “that there is no government in Manipur’’. “People are confused as to whether the state is being run by the state government or the unified command,’’ he said.

“We believe that if the Prime Minister takes action, then peace in Manipur can be restored in 24 hours. What action this will be, we leave to the wisdom of Modiji,” added Luwang.

Ramesh compared the PM’s silence to that on many key issues, including Chinese incursions, and said this is “hurting the people’’.