PM not inviting Manipur CM on ILP shows Modi's disinterest in Manipur's people

Ningombam Bupenda Meitei *

ILP : 38-hour 'Sintha Leppa' strike in various areas of Imphal on May 21 2016 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who invited Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka for discussions on drought and water scarcity situation (reported in NDTV news "PM Modi To Meet Chief Ministers Of 3 Drought-Hit States Today", dated 7th May, 2016), has, so far, no time to even give an appointment for Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to call on. What could the people of Manipur expect from such Prime Minister who has no interest to invite the Leader of the people of Manipur, who is the Chief Minister, to discuss about the implementation and issues over Manipur's Inner Line Permit?

Whether Manipur Chief Minister is in Kolkata or Deputy Chief Minister is in Imphal, or whether BJP Manipur has met the Union Minister of State for Home, the question is – who has stopped Prime Minister Modi, who is busy in travelling around the world, to visit Imphal to meet the people of Manipur so that the Prime Minister himself realises the necessity and genuine demands of the people of Manipur, who are still being threatened by the demographic, economic, social and cultural invasions taking place in Manipur to undoubtedly destroy the world of indigenous people of Manipur?

The then Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP Narendra Modi, who said "Come May 16, Bangladeshi immigrants must pack up" in 2014 (reported in NDTV news "Come May 16, Bangladeshi immigrants must pack up: Narendra Modi", dated 22nd September, 2015), must also say now – "Come 2016, Burmese immigrants must pack up"– in Imphal whenever he comes to Imphal from now onwards. Can this Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has never ever repeated his own statement "Come May 16, Bangladeshi immigrants must pack up" after May 16, 2014, can ever say "Burmese immigrants must pack up from Manipur now"?

PM Modi's political interests in bringing BJP in Manipur by his deliberate silence, maintaining a stoic silence to the ongoing Manipur's ILP public movement, so that there would be further more polarisation in Manipur before 2017 assembly election and such polarisation, like it has helped BJP in coming to powers in other states, is also expectedly perceived to be causing BJP to get some seats in Manipur Assembly. PM Modi's commercial interests in his "Act East" by passing through Imphal without getting Inner Line Permit implemented in Manipur clearly expose that PM Modi and BJP are only interested in the commercial profits which are to be gained from Act East by using Manipur as commercial transit and connecting links but not for the genuine protection and welfare of the indigenous people of Manipur.

PM Modi has time to invite the Chief Ministers of politically influencing, in terms of the numbers of MPs in Parliament, big states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, but he has no time even to give appointment to the repeated requests from not only the Chief Minister of Manipur but also from the all political parties of Manipur on Inner Line Permit in Manipur. Does not it reflect that the Prime Minister has no respect for the Chief Minister of Manipur? Does not it suggest that the Prime Minister has no honour for the people of Manipur who are heavily disturbed by the silence of the Prime Minister towards Manipur's ILP?

If such Prime Minister has no time even for a state Chief Minister and the Chief Minister has to wait for days and weeks, and if possible, months, then that clearly shows the genuine and true neglect of the Prime Minister towards the people of Manipur. What would a common man or woman from Manipur expect, when he or she wants to meet the Prime Minister of India, if the Prime Minister himself keeps the state Chief Minister waiting for weeks and months?

If the Prime Minister thinks that BJP can come to power in Manipur in 2017 by getting the entire 20 MLAs, whose seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe, in the form of the support from non-Congress parties, then to get 31 seats out of the total 60 seats in Manipur Assembly to form the non-Congress or BJP led or NDA or NEDA government in Manipur, Modi needs another 11 seats from Manipur valley. Can Modi garner 11 seats from Manipur valley in favour of either BJP or NDA (National Democratic Alliance) or NEDA (North East Democratic Alliance)? Can Modi ever talk of replacing the present Congress government if Modi fails to convert the Manipur's 3 bills into act and implement ILP in Manipur?

If BJP is going to claim that – "if BJP or NDA comes to power in Manipur in 2017, then within a month, Manipur's Inner Line Permit will be implemented", then it will be akin to again reiterating the same old rhetoric of Narendra Modi's line "Come May 16, Bangladeshi immigrants must pack up" which has led to a complete empty slogan and lies in removing Bangladeshi immigrants from Assam or the North East India, even till today.

By not either inviting the Chief Minister of Manipur on ILP or PM Modi's visit to Imphal to meet the people of Manipur for Manipur's Inner Line Permit, Modi - who said "India will not forget you or turn away" (as reported in "At Afghan dam inauguration, PM promises: India will not forget you" of The Indian Express, dated 5th June, 2016) to the people of Afghanistan yesterday – has no time for the people of Manipur and he has failed to prove "India will not forget you or turn away" to the people of Manipur. Has the Prime Minister proved himself as the Leader of India excluding the people of Manipur? Is the Prime Minister an inclusive Prime Minister who not only has time for foreign countries or bigger states like Uttar Pradesh or Maharashtra but also for the smaller state like Manipur and its people?

What or who has stopped the Prime Minister of India to invite the Chief Minister of Manipur to discuss about the issues of Manipur's Inner Line Permit in New Delhi? Has, according to the Prime Minister's stoic silence, it been proved that "India has forgotten and turned away from Manipur"?