Cong leaders note menace of drugs, influx in state
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: April 05, 2025 -

WHILE there seems to be some substance in the assertion by Congress leaders that the formal debate in the Lok Sabha regarding imposition of the President's Rule in Manipur was bereft of a healthy and thorough deliberation as the matter was placed by BJP-led NDA government in the wee hours of Friday it is rather comical to hear the same party expressing concern over absence of a popular government in the state plan by the party's state unit to move a no confidence motion against the N Biren government eventually resulted in resignation of the chief minister, subsequent dismissal of the government and the assembly kept under animated suspension with over three years remaining for the end of the BJP-led coalition government's second term.

No doubt, Biren had been facing tremendous pressure to relinquish the top post after outbreak of the Kuki-Meetei clash and failure of the government to find a solution to the conflict which will complete two years next month.

Amid relentless criticism's from both the opposition parties and handful of dissident legislators within the BJP aftermath of the state remaining in the grip of high tension, N Biren finally succumbed to the pressure, stepped down and paved the way for a more capable leader to head the new government.

However, months after his resignation it seems that no one is interested or willing to helm the state's affairs, apparently realising complexity of the problem.

Gravity of the situation could also be comprehended from the central leaderships' failure to keep their promise for free movement along the national highways, among other assurances given, in-spite of pressing into service large number of state and central security forces, specifically to secure the highways.

The only notable change that the President's Rule has brought is the absence of conflict-related violence in the state ever since the central government technically took over the reins of power.

Moreover, unlike under the then N Biren government when all efforts to bring the parties in dispute to the negotiating table was promptly rejected by the Kuki civil organisations, steps taken up for a peaceful solution to the violence have started to evoke positive response.

In fact, absence of violence in the state in the last four months could be credited to the central government's endeavours to facilitate talks between the warring Meetei and Kuki communities.

Nevertheless, it is heartening to learn that some Congress parliamentarians, Shashi Tharoor in particular, have acknowledged that illegal immigrations and drug trafficking are severe challenges for the state, seemingly forgetting that the then chief minister N Biren had been fiercely advocating prevention of cross-border influx and directly overseeing campaigns aimed at eradicating poppy plantations.

In fact, outbreak of the Kuki-Meetei violence in May 2023 was preceded by various instances of the Kuki villagers engaging eviction team officials in violent confrontations, vandalising forest offices and calling the 'war on drugs' campaign launched under the aegis of N Biren as discrimination and vilification of the Kuki community.

Now that Shashi Tharoor has accepted illegal immigrations and drug trafficking as the core problems for Manipur, it is expected that other Congress leaders too would follow suit and extend support in the materialisation of the objective for eradicating the menace of drugs in the state and addressing the chronic problem of illegal immigrations.