INDIA Bloc leaders hold protest on Manipur issue
'PM should urgently visit the State'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal/New Delhi, December 09 2024: Opposition INDIA Bloc leaders on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should visit Manipur, as they held a sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the situation in the North Eastern State that has been reeling from ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023.Leaders from Congress, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation and AIFB were among those who participated in the protest "for an immediate restoration of peace and normalcy" in Manipur.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should urgently visit Manipur and Home Minister Amit Shah should resign on "moral grounds" over the situation in the State.

The Opposition parties also demanded Chief Minister N Biren Singh's sacking as they attacked the BJP-led Governments at the Centre and in the State.

Former Chief Minister of Manipur O Ibobi Singh, Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat, Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja, All India Forward Bloc General Secretary G Devarajan, and several other leaders from Congress and Left parties joined the protest.

"People of this Nation know what has been happening in Manipur for the last 19 months, but sometimes we feel the people of the entire country thought...

they may or may not have thought so but this is how we feel, that what will happen, Manipur is a small State, let these two communities kill each other, whoever conquers will rule the State...

sometimes we feel that," Singh said.

"What is happening in Manipur, if it had happened in any other State of the country, if it happened in Gujarat, or if it had happened here in Delhi, or UP...

We are extremely sorry, they thought that Manipur is not a part of India...

," he said.

Singh said Manipur was a princely State, which became a part of India in 1949."Then rulers decided to merge with the Union of India, because of that we are now suffering...

Sometimes our young generation feels we should demand to restore the pre-merger status of Manipur.

But the INDIA Bloc and Congress never thought that," he said.

"We believe in Gandhian theory, in peace without violence, we will fight till complete normalcy is restored in Manipur.

We are also citizens of this country and we have every right to fight," he said.

"If this kind of people rule the country, India will be like Manipur," he said.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said that the whole INDIA Bloc is speaking in one voice over the Manipur issue, but the BJP has "shown its back" to the people of the State.

He also said that the Opposition is not being allowed to raise the issue in Parliament.

"There should be a debate on Manipur in Parliament.

Is it a crime to ask questions on Manipur ?" he said.

CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat mocked the BJP's much-touted "double-engine" Governments - a term it uses to describe the advantage of having the party in power at the Centre and in the State.

"One engine is totally out of control, and the Centre is only using security force and AFSPA, and they think they can control the situation," he said.

"We are against AFSPA being reimposed in the State," he said, adding that the Centre should hold talks with stakeholders and resolve the issues.

CPI General Secretary D Raja said the Union Government is not doing anything to restore peace in the State.

"BJP claims that they keep the Nation first...

Is Manipur not a part of the Nation ?" he said.

"The Prime Minister should take some time out and visit Manipur," he said.

CPI(ML) Liberation MP Raja Ram Singh accused the ruling BJP of dividing the Nation on lines of religion and community and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.

"Prime Minister of India should be held responsible for the ongoing turmoil in Manipur and continuous violence for 19 months in the State.

Union Home Minister of India should immediately resign on moral grounds for his failure to tackle the present violence in Manipur for the last 19 months.

"Chief Minister of Manipur should be immediately sacked for allowing Manipur to keep burning for the last 19 months," Ramesh said, citing the demands of the INDIA Bloc, Manipur.

Other Central leaders present at today's protest include Girish Chodankar.

AICC (in-charge of Manipur); Sanjay Singh, MP, AAP; John Brittas, MP CPI (M); Raja Ram Singh Kushwala, MP, Politburo Member CPI (ML); P Sandosh Kumar, MP, CPI; Arvind Ganpat Sawant, MP, SS (UBT); Rakibul Hussain MP, Assam; Saleng Sangma, MP, Meghalaya; Hibi Eden, MP Kerala; Jothimai, MP, Tamil Nadu; Manoj Jha, MP, RJD; Supriya Shrinate, spokesperson, AICC; Ramanchandra, MP, RSP; Biko, MP, RSP; Supong Meren Jamir, MP and president, Nagaland PCC; Kanhaiya Kumar, AICC in-charge of NSUI and Vijoo Krishnan, secretariat member CPI (M) and general secretary AIKS.

Additionally, in a strongly worded statement INDIA Bloc Manipur has accused the Government of India led by Narendra Modi- Amit Shah duo of remaining unresponsive and along with Chief Minister N Biren Singh led State Government issuing platitudes and contradictory and false statements on the situation.

Even as thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are still languishing in wretched conditions in relief camps and the death toll continues to rise, they have been misleading the people across the country by saying that "violence has gone down", "peace is returning" etc in Manipur, alleged the INDIA Bloc statement.

Aside from the colossal loss of human lives, properties and displacement of more than 60,000 people with many still reported missing, criminal activities such as extortion and collection of "illegal tax" by the non-state elements have also been on the rise, it added.

This is despite the presence of more than 70,000 security personnel deployed in the State.

It also railed at the Prime Minister for failing to pay a visit to the State while expressing concerns about conflicts abroad, and even paying visits to these countries to show solidarity and share the sufferings of the people in these foreign lands.

Stating that a threat to Manipur is a threat to the Indian Union and the suffering of the people of Manipur are also the woes of Indian people, INDIA Bloc warned that the day people forget this simple truth, "it will be an invitation to destroy the unity and integrity of the country".

Maintaining that the double-engine Government led by the BJP has overlooked this truth through their inaction and callous handling of the crisis, INDIA Bloc alleged the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the "cooperating" Chief Minister of "presiding over the destruction of Manipur and the Constitutional order in the country" .

(with inputs from PTI) .

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