All-party meet as PM Modi refuses to break silence
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 24, 2023 -

REGARDLESS of Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuing to maintain stoic silence over the Manipur violence, which has been drawing flak from cross section of the society, including the opposition parties, former BJP allies and prominent citizens, the all-party meeting convened by home minister Amit Shah underscores that the Union government is aware about the consequences in case of failure to resolve the crisis at the earliest possible.

The PM's silence and the PMO's disapproval to both BJP and the Congress-led opposition parties for a meeting are also creating a sense of aliena-tion among the people of Manipur.

For reasons best known to self, PM Modi hasn't uttered a single word on the violence in Manipur till date although it is now clear that the mayhem here has grabbed the attention of national and international media.

The yearning by people of Manipur as well as Manipur origin people working or settling in major Indian cities and abroad to draw the PM's attention could be comprehended from protestors gathering near-by the UN headquarters in New York, where he attended the International Day of Yoga, with placards inscribed with slogans and messages aimed at prodding the conscience of one of the world's tallest figures.

PM Modi might be unfazed or unaware about the protest but it's an undeniable fact that the Manipur crisis is no more a national issue but of international concern as PM's much-published visit to the US happened at a time when nearly 150 people have lost their lives, thousands rendered homes and place of worship destroyed in the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities.

Thus, as Amit Shah's recent interaction with the displaced people staying in relief centres during his recent visit to the state, consultative meetings held with Kuki and Meetei civil or-ganisations and parleys with legislators of Kuki and Naga communities could not bring an end to the ethnic violence, the proposed all-party meet on Saturday assumes great significance for lack of consensus on the crisis situation would be construed as the political class de-preciating Manipur and its people.

Ironically, ahead of the proposed meeting there has been mudslinging between the ruling BJP and the opposition combined, thereby driving home the message that with exception of trying to draw political mileage or regaining the people's trust, the political class are bereft of commit-ment to bring peace in the state.

Even before the Union home minister set foot in Manipur, that too, after nearly a month since outbreak of the clashes on May 3, Meetei legislators had sought an audience with Amit Shah during his visit to Guwahati.

The yearning to meet Amit Shah and apprise him about the volatile situa-tion in the state left nothing to doubt that the ruling party MLAs as well as the alliance partners were apprehensive about the agitated people venting their angst on them, which proved right as mobs started to storm and torch houses of some of the elected people's representative amid the ceaseless bloody conflict.

Therefore, even if the proposed all-party meeting could not work out the magic formula to end the crisis the initiative would be officially considered a great success if it leads to the Prime Minister breaking his silence and making a simple ap-peal for peace.