Infiltration to drug smuggling New Delhi has spoken
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 12, 2023 -

New Delhi has spoken.

Why video of nude parade was uploaded on social media just one day ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament.

Large scale infiltration from across the border, particularly after the military coup in Myanmar.

Sharp spike in narcotics trade from across the border.

58 new villages declared in Reserved and Protected Forests.

This was Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the floor of Parliament on August 9 while speaking on the ethnic clash at Manipur and just 24 hours after the Home Minister has had his say and observation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed this with, ‘Home Minister Amit Shah gave a detailed explanation on what happened in Manipur.’

Cap this off with the instruction of the Union Home Minister to a team of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum some days back to look for an alternate site to bury the dead people instead of Torbung Bangla and it should be clear that the false narratives that were peddled for so long have a short shelf life.

Understand the ‘large scale infiltration from across the border’ line with the submission of the Solicitor General of India to the Supreme Court some days back that many of those killed in the violence are from across the border and the call to Delhi, from either side of the clash divide, to help settle the issue, should now make sense.

The red carpet welcome rolled out for Amit Shah at Churachandpur and Kangpokpi during his visit to Manipur at the fag end of May has certainly not gone to waste and Manipur must have taken note of it with the merit it deserves.

The position of Delhi is clear and making it more significant is the decision of two lady brave hearts who have decided to come out and lodge FIRs that they have been raped.

What is significant to note is the fact that one of the victims has filed a Zero FIR, that she was raped at Churachandpur on May 3, the day of the Tribal Solidarity March and when the clash erupted and sent Manipur burning.

Why is the Prime Minister quiet now is the question that has been raised by some irate womenfolk at Imphal, but it is significant to note that a woman has gathered enough courage to admit and accordingly file an FIR alleging rape with the police.

If there are more such victims, one hopes they shed their inhibitions and come forward to lodge their complaint.

This is how justice can be delivered and the demented minds can be pulled up. This will also help in setting the narrative right.

Delhi has made its stand clear and the question is what is the way forward now for Manipur.

For one it should be made clear that the clash is not one between tribals and non-tribals.

It is also not a clash between two sets of people professing different religion.

Let it also be clear that there was nothing Christian-like in getting the European Parliament discuss the cases of Churches being demolished here while conveniently side stepping the fact that a shrine of Pakhangba was desecrated at Churachandpur on May 3 evening itself.

Moreover Naga Churches were left untouched and so was the biggest Church in Manipur, the Central Church of Manipur Baptist Convention.

Selective silence on the desecration of Kondong Lairembi at Moreh and many other shrines while going to town with the number of Churches being demolished formed an important chapter in the false narrative that was peddled to the outside world and which was so willingly lapped up by a number of media houses located in other parts of the country.

But as noted above, false narratives have a short shelf life and slowly and gradually the truth is beginning to come out.

The rape case of the housewife at Churachandpur on May 3 came a day before the nude parade of two girls on May 4 and this is where a tale may lie.

The truth is, everyone is a victim of the madness that has enveloped Manipur for over 90 days and the first spell of the lunacy was cast on May 3 at Torbung and inside Churachandpur town itself.

A look back at the genesis of the clash is necessary for Manipur to take a step forward to what is generally understood as normalcy and peace.