Ranjit accuses CM of misleading public on NRC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 08 2024: Congress MLA K Ranjit has accused Chief Minister N Biren of misleading the public on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) .

Raising a policy cut motion in the State Assembly today while discussing a Demand for Grants pertaining to Police, K Ranjit recalled a bold declaration made by Chief Minister N Biren during a public function held at City Convention Centre that the NRC has been implemented in the State.

It would be completely wrong to assume that NRC has been implemented just because biometrics have been collected, Ranjit said.

He then urged the Chief Minister to table the Centre's order or gazette notification on implementation of NRC in the State if N Biren's bold declaration is true.

Implementation of NRC would entail establishment of several foreigner detection tribunals and exhaustive identification of illegal immigrants and temporary shelters should be constructed in advance to accommodate the illegal immigrants, Ranjit said.

It is rather unfortunate the Chief Minister has been repeatedly charging that the Congress party opposes implementation of NRC in the State, Ranjit decried.

He then pointed out that the all ruling and Opposition Members of the Manipur Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on August 5, 2022 in favour of implementation of NRC in Manipur.

It is the BJP Governments of the Centre and the State which are unable to act on the State Assembly's resolution, Ranjit asserted.

The same resolution was reaffirmed by all the Members of the House including the five Congress MLAs on March 1 this year, he added.

On account of the protracted crisis, Manipur has been virtually bifurcated.

Indigenous people are becoming refugees in their own land.

Manipur landed in such a sorry state because the State Government did not do what it must in time.

Had the State Government acted in time, the current situation could have been averted, Ranjit said.

Although the Manipur crisis is now 15 months old, everyone knows that the Prime Minister of India is not paying little attention to the crisis.

So far, the Prime Minister has uttered a single word on restoring peace in the State, he said.

He then urged the Chief Minister to clarify whether Union Home Minister Amit Shah has taken control of the State's Home Department.

As the 10 Kuki MLAs have been working openly to fragment Manipur by demanding their own homeland, the Government must take up stern action against them, he said.

Noting that the Government has started construction of houses for displaced people whose houses had been burnt down, Ranjit asked the Government if it has any plan to compensate for the properties destroyed along with the houses.

As per the Manipur Merger Agreement, it is the Government of India's responsibility to protect Manipur, Th Lokeshwar said.

The Government needs to monitor the Central paramilitary forces who were sent to the State to control the violence, he said.

He went on to ask if the Central paramilitary forces are here to contain the violence or aggravate the situation.

Pointing out that VDF personnel have been taking key roles in defending civilians and villages in the ongoing conflict, he urged the Government to take up adequate security measures for the VDF personnel.

K Meghachandra urged the Government to bring out a roadmap to bring an end to the protracted crisis and restore peace in the State.

Opposition leader O Ibobi remarked that their proposal to adopt a House resolution on seeking an appointment with the Prime Minister will lower the dignity of Manipur State Assembly but the proposal has been compelled by the pressing issue and the prolonged suffering of the IDPs.

Ibobi asserted that the current crisis is not similar to the Naga-Kuki clash or Kuki-Paite clash.

Replying to the policy cut motions, Chief Minister N Biren stated that the violent crisis is a result of the Government's eviction drive against illegal encroachment into reserved forests and protected forests, poppy plantation, identification of illegal immigrants and the High Court's order.

He said that the Government took up these measures to protect the indigenous people and save them from becoming a minority in their own homeland.

There was no question of challenging any community, he added.

The Government took up these measures on seeing the sudden and unnatural growth of population and villages and the reflection of this unnatural growth in the electoral rolls, Biren said.

"As four committees formed at the directive of the Supreme Court have been investigating the roots and genesis of the crisis, I would not go into further details", the Chief Minister said.

Investigation by a committee headed by Minister Letpao Haokip detected 2480 illegal immigrants within three days.

Soon after, widespread violence erupted in the State, he said.

The immigrants who fled to Kamjong and Tengnoupal districts are refugees fleeing unrest in Myanmar.

All their biometrics have been collected and they are being accommodated in shelter homes, he said.

Biren said he never claimed NRC has been implemented in the State.

Nonetheless, the State Government has been exerting pressure on the Central Government to update NRC with respect to Manipur, he said.

As of now, identification and repatriation of foreigners are being done under the Foreigners' Act, and the same Act empowers an SP to detain and repatriate foreigners, the Chief Minister told the House.

He said that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have not yet made a clear statement on NRC.

Biren went on to claim that the Prime Minister has spoken three times on the Manipur crisis.

He also said that he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently and talked about the Manipur crisis.

Biren said that the Opposition Members may also seek an appointment with the Prime Minister.

On the 10 Kuki MLAs' demand for separate administration, N Biren said that the demand is not a new one but dates back to 2005 when Assam Rifles signed SoO agreement with Kuki militants without the knowledge of the State Government.

It can be said that the State Government has failed to maintain law and order but at the same time one should not overlook the fact that the State is currently fighting a kind of war, he said.

Article 355 has not been imposed in Manipur but the Security Advisor has been made the chairman of the Unified Command, Biren clarified.

"The Central Government made this change to uphold the State Government's neutrality as I belong to the Meitei community.

Yet, I'm still the State's Home Minister", he said.

"I alone cannot chart out a roadmap to peace but it should be done after due consultation with all stake holders", he continued.

Government representatives have been working hard to initiate peace talks at both Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.

A team led by the HAC Chairman went to Kangpokpi and Guwahati made a proposal for talks.

Moreover, the Central Government is expected to initiate peace talks with representatives of both the sides after the ongoing Parliament session is over, he said.

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