Is the Chief Minister lying?
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: August 29, 2023 -

A couple of days back, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh reportedly said in an interview with Hindustan Times that he is in regular touch with the 10 Kuki MLAs who have raised the demand for a separate administration for the Kuki-Chin community living in the hill districts of Manipur following the outbreak of communal clashes between the Meitei/Meetei and Kuki-Chin communities, which has been going on since May 3 last.

In its report, the national newspaper quoted, Biren as saying, "I have told the MLAs that I will provide them with security and that we must work together to restore normalcy.

I have also spoken to the civil society organisations in Imphal (Meitei/Meetei groups) and said that the MLAs should not be stopped from visiting the valley (Imphal) for work.

The MLAs must join work immediately...".

However, a day after the report of the interview was published, the 10 Kuki MLAs in question vehemently denied the claim made by CM Biren that he was in touch with them to discuss the situation amidst the ongoing communal unrest.

Issuing an official statement jointly, the 10 Kuki MLAs declared, "It is hereby clarified by all the 10 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs that we have not been in touch with CM N Biren Singh since the outbreak of the communal violence in May 2023."

The joint official statement of the 10 MLAs further said, "At this politically critically juncture, we do not have any intention to communicate with CM Biren Singh" and asserted that CM Biren's claim of communicating with the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs may be a ploy to sow seeds of mistrust and disunity between the Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs and their people.

The joint official statement of the 10 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs came as a big surprise to many as it totally contradicted what CM Biren Singh was quoted to have said in the interview with Hindustan Times.

And, as far as we know, Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who is known for his quick response to any comment posted on his various social media accounts, is yet to give any comment on the denial made by the 10 Kuki MLAs regarding their supposed communication.

Does this mean that the 10 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs were right and that CM Biren had wagged his tongue more than necessary while giving interview to a national newspaper?

If, at all, CM Biren had communicated with the MLAs, then he should provide the proofs of the call recordings made so as to silence the 10 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs and salvage his reputation as the no-nonsense politician he has been known for.

In the report of the same interview given to Hindustan Times, there is also another discordant matter on which CM Biren need to throw light to clear confusion from the mind of the people.

In the interview, CM Biren maintained that the recent face-off between the Assam Rifles and the state police that led the latter to register an FIR against the former for undue interference in their operation and forced the people in the valley to raise the demand for removal of Assam Rifles from deployment in Manipur was a misunderstanding.

And, if this misunderstanding was "a one-off incident", as he is quoted to have said, then why the state unit of his own party, BJP, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting for timely intervention and replacing the "partisan" men in camouflage uniform from being deployed in the tiny north-eastern state by any other paramilitary forces permanently.

CM Biren, definitely, has some explanation to do to come out clean.