Parties spar as nude parade shames Manipur
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: July 24, 2023 -

WITH the parliamentary elections due next year, it’s not surprising that leaders of political parties, including hitherto unheard of in the state, are rolling up the sleeves for the battle with the unrest situation in Manipur serving as the platform to fire salvos at one another.

Since outbreak of the ethnic conflict in May there has been sharp criticism against the government in the state and at the centre with the opposition parties, the Congress in particular, consistently raising posers over the stoic silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanding change of guard in Manipur as villagers in the peripheral areas continue to face intermittent exchange of firing.

While the sickening act of parading naked two Kuki women continues to draw flak from all corners of the world and Manipur’s reputation of holding women in high esteem is under the scanner, some valley-based civil societies are expressing remorse that the Prime Minister is not keen to address the core issues.

After over two months the PM Modi indeed broke his silence but referred to only the nude parade incident while undermining the urgent need to end the violence, which has not only claimed the lives of many on both sides of the deep divide but has started to bring to the fore numerous cases of brutal killings and missing persons, including possible abduction of a school-going girl along with her male colleague in a hill village.

In the formative days of the violence there were widespread rumours about sexual assaults but in the case of the aforementioned school girl there are fears that her body will never be recovered.

As there had been various cases of brutal murdering of captives by both the communities in conflict, the young girl’s whereabouts remaining unknown since July 6 indicates that the captors wouldn’t be handing over hers as well the missing boy’s corpses but ensure that their traces are completely wiped out.

Though concerned Citizens would be pinning hope that the law enforcing agencies would make a breakthrough and unearth the circumstances on how the two students ventured into hostile territory and fell into the hands of the captors, there is strong possibility that there are eyewitnesses to the abduction incident but are opting to keep mum over the incident to persevere with the principle of upholding neutrality of the community concerned vis-a-vis the ethnic conflict.

With tell-tale evidences of the warring communities firmly resolved to launch attacks on one another as and when there are opportunities, it’s obvious that the conflict will see more macabre incidents in case either the neutral communities intervene to stop the mayhem rather than watch from the fence or the Union government directs its troops to justify their deployment in the state.

It needs no reminding that the ruling parties can’t prevent the opposition leaders from latching on to any situation of public concern and unleash criticisms but it is the prerogative of the government to do the needful and prevent occurrence of horrific or despicable acts, which the warring communities seem determined to execute, albeit stealthily.

However, it is desired that the political leaders will exercise restraint to prevent further escalation of the tension.