The 'questionable' silence
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: July 17, 2023 -

YET again, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned the latter’s ‘continued silence’ on the situation in the north-eastern state of Manipur, which has been engulfed in an unprecedented violence since the afternoon of May 3, leading to loss of hundreds of precious human lives and rendered thousands of people homeless as a result of clashes that broke out between Meitei/ Meetei and Kuki-Chin communities.

On July 15, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote, “Manipur burns, EU Parliament discusses India’s internal matter. PM hasn’t said a word on either!”

Rahul was obviously referring to the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on the situation in Manipur just ahead of the recent visit of Prime Minister Modi to France, which the Government of India has strongly objected.

Describing it as a reflection of a “colonial mindset,” India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said such interference in India’s internal affairs is “unacceptable."

Whether the resolution adopted by the European Parliament will ever help in putting an end to the violent clashes that Manipur has been experiencing for more than two months now is an altogether another matter, but the question raised by Rahul Gandhi over the failure of India to resolve its “internal matter” for so long and the manner in which a vocal Prime Minister like Modi has remained conspicuously silent even from uttering a word of concern over what is happening in a small state of his own country, is quite poignant.

Mind you, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is someone who did not fail to include the issues of tiny Manipur and was all praise for its hardworking and innovative people in his monthly Radio broadcast, “Maan Ki Baat.”

Today, Manipur is burning, literally; but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent, totally.

As the top leader of the country and one who is aspiring to be the ‘Vishwaguru’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ought to say something, or at least make an appeal to the people of Manipur, the two warring communities, to be more precise, for maintaining peace; even if it is rather too late.

If what is happening in Manipur is an “internal matter” of India that does not warrant interference from European Parliament; then the Prime Minister, as head of the family, should act.

He should not disregard his duty and responsibility towards the family, for the well-being of all its members. It is his responsibility to reach out to the parties in dispute and settle the issue so as to bring the house in order.

Continuing to remain silent on the Manipur issue by the Prime Minister is going to raise numerous questions at various forums not only by his own countrymen but also by the international community.

By remaining silent on the burning Manipur issue for so long, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also doing a great disfavour to his die-hard partymen in the state, who had even insanely gone to the extent of equating him with God and exclaimed that “without Modi-ji, all of us would have die” while referring to the free rice provided to the people during the Covid pandemic.

Today, hundreds of precious human lives have been snuffed out and thousands of families rendered homeless.

But “Modi-ji” has taken the vow of silence and left the people to their own fate.

Today, the red-faced partymen in Manipur must have learnt the bitter lesson that “Silence” is not so “Golden,” thanks to “Modi-ji.”