Delhi searching for a solution ? What has it done so far ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 06, 2024 -

On September 5, with the dateline given as Imphal, September 4, The Sangai Express ran two exclusive stories, one dealing with how Delhi may effect a change in leadership and the other on how Chief Minister N Biren was convinced not to visit Koutruk with the said two stories quickly going viral on the social media and drawing sharp comments from the people.

September 15 is the date on which the story on leadership change, with a big question mark, revolved around and the significance of this date can be seen in the backdrop of the fact that this date would mark the completion of the first 100 days of the Modi 3.0 Government.

The question mark that followed the big story and the crux of the news could be the reason for one of the stories going viral on the social media but this also reflects the toll the ongoing conflict has taken on everyone.

How Delhi proceeds to mark its first 100 days in power is anybody’s guess, but to Manipur it could mean something significant for remember Delhi had set the 100 days mark as the date to resolve the Manipur crisis.

The interesting point is, the Manipur of today, that is September of 2024 is very different from the June of 2024, that was when the Modi 3.0 Government assumed power for the third consecutive term, and one wonders if the parameters that the BJP Government may have set itself on back in June would hold water now in September.

This much is true with respect to the ongoing ethnic violence and back in June and before that, the clash between the two communities was one of gun battle and stand offs but September has heralded a totally new dimension in so far as the weapons used in the conflict is concerned.

September 1 and September 2 saw the use of high tech weaponised drones with devastating impact, having already claimed the lives of two people and inflicting injuries on over 10 people.

The use of weaponised drones also came along with the understanding of turning the life saving ambulance to a vehicle being used to ferry killers and this is a point that should be taken note of.

Delhi could be studying the different options before it, including change in leadership, but it should also understand that the conflict has taken so many twists and turns in the last 15 months and it has only to hold itself responsible for turning Manipur into a sort of a killing field.

Delhi should also get down to the business of asking itself why and how weaponised drones got to be fired from the hills and this is where one is reminded of the ‘You look after the valley, while I will look after the hills’ instruction given to Chief Minister N Biren by Union Home Minister Amit Shah sometime in 2023.

Something is just not right in how Delhi has been dealing with the great human tragedy here and this is a point which it must acknowledge even as September 15 draws nearer with each passing day.

So what are the feedbacks with which BJP North East coordinator, Sambit Patra would have gone back to Delhi and brief Union Home Minister Amit Shah ?

The answer will not come soon, and one has to wait till September 15, that is if one goes by what was assured back in June and one can only hope that whatever is taken up does not go against the interests of Manipur.

Something has to give is a line which The Sangai Express has been maintaining after it became clear that Manipur does not figure anywhere on the agenda of the BJP led Government at Delhi, and now after having waited for over 15 months, that something should not mean anything that goes against the interests of Manipur.

This observation is being made in the belief that the BJP Government would stick by what it had announced back in June, with Manipur featuring in the list of to do in the first 100 days of being in office but given the way Delhi has been responding to the situation here, nothing will be too surprising if it continues with its indifference.

Looking back one wonders what Delhi has in mind, and the important question is what it has done ever since Manipur went up in flames on May 3, 2023 ?

Flew in 60,000 troops to help the State Government deal with the fast deteriorating law and order situation, draw buffer zones across the length and breadth of the State, divest the post of Chairman of the Unified Command from the Chief Minister and hand over the same to Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, hand pick the man to head the State police force as the DGP.

The question is have these measures helped in any way ?

The answer should be clear to all, particularly to New Delhi and hereby hangs a tale.