Many BJP MLAs not happy with Amit Shah's roadmap to peace
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 21 2024: Merely days after Union Home Mi-nister Amit Shah announced a roadmap to resolve Manipur conflict, a rift has appeared among the MLAs in the ruling party.

Apparently, the roadmap, Amit Shah announced recently has failed to cut the ice and please many BJP MLAs, who think there are no new policies in the roadmap that would resolve the conflict immediately, said a highly placed source in the Government.

Many MLAs in the ruling BJP are communicating with each other and they are planning to visit Delhi and put strong pressure on the Centre to take concrete steps to resolve the conflict, claims the source.

The MLAs are communicating with each other but they do not want to attract the Chief Minister's attention, added the source.

The protracted violent conflict that has engulfed Manipur broke out on May 3, 2023 .

The conflict has taken the lives of more than 220 persons and displaced over 60,000 in over 16 months.

Significantly, the "rift" and the plan to put pressure on Delhi came amid increasing security concerns related to a report about 900 strong armed militants infiltrating Manipur from Myanmar.

The source who has knowledge of the communication among the BJP MLAs said the MLAs are very concerned that the conflict would drag on for a longer period without Centre taking steps that would have immediate results on the ground.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on completion of the first 100 days of the NDA Government on September 17, announced opening of 16 Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars (KPKBs)--eight in the valley and eight in the hills--to provide essential commodities and basic needs to the people at reasonable prices.

Prices of essential commodities are rising and these 16 canteens will not be able to provide the much needed assistance to more than 60,000 people who have been displaced by the conflict.

The MLAs feel that this initiative will cover only a few sections of the people and fail to meet expectations, said the source.

Further as a part of the roadmap, Amit Shah announced border fencing.

However, the MLAs believe that the border fencing, deployment of CRPF and scrapping of FMR to check infiltration--these are not new and have been here for a while, and these are not the immediate steps that would help resolve the conflict and restore peace, said the source.

There has been no visible effort so far to begin talks between the Kukis and the Meiteis, and this has become a major reason for the MLAs communicating and planning a visit to Delhi to put strong pressure on the Centre, continued the source.

"Meanwhile, the MLAs are aware that the Chief Minister does not want them (MLAs) to rally and plan a visit to Delhi," said the source.

Even though most MLAs want to put pressure on the Centre to resolve the conflict, the MLAs as of now are unable to come together.

But, some of them have started communicating with each other, said the source.

There are at present around 9-10 BJP MLAs in Delhi, but they aren't together.

There are also some MLAs in Kolkata and Guwahati.

Whether these MLAs are outside on personal business or official work is not known, said the source.

Lamlai AC MLA Kh Ibomcha and Mao AC NPF MLA Dikho reached Delhi yesterday.

When this reporter spoke to one of the BJP MLAs, he said he is discontent with the fact that he is not able to speak freely, being a ruling MLA.

"The conflict has dragged on for over 16 months without any solution in sight.

When people raise questions and ask about the conflict, we as ruling MLAs feel ashamed that we aren't able to give our people a straight answer and say exactly when the conflict will end," said the MLA.

"Instead of remaining hapless, it would be best for the MLAs to come together and put pressure on the Centre to take concrete steps to resolve the crisis," he said.

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