DMCC urges PM Modi to intervene
Source: The Sangai Express
New Delhi, February 22 2025:
A prominent Manipuri organisation has issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for immediate intervention in the state's ongoing ethnic conflict that has claimed over 380 lives and displaced more than 60,000 people.
The Delhi Meetei Coordinating Committee (DMCC) penned an open letter to the newly re-elected Prime Minister, urging him to visit Manipur during his upcoming trip to Guwahati for the Assam Advantage 2.0 Summit on February 24-25, 2025 .
The letter highlights a devastating 21-month crisis marked by continued violence between Meitei and Kuki communities, criticising what they describe as systematic failures in governance and security measures.
"Your continued silence and absence from Manipur have fueled growing resentment and the perception of government inaction or complicity in the crisis," the DMCC stated in their letter.
The organisation detailed a chronological breakdown of the violence, beginning with the May 3, 2023 outbreak that coincided with the Vice President's visit to Imphal.
The initial violence erupted following protests over Meitei demands for Scheduled Tribe status, leading to coordinated attacks in four Kuki-dominated districts.
Recent incidents underlines the persistent nature of the conflict.
Between December 30, 2023, and January 18, 2024, the border town of Moreh witnessed multiple militant attacks, resulting in the deaths of two Manipur police commandos and injuries to several others.
The DMCC specifically criticised Home Minister Amit Shah's handling of the crisis, pointing to several key failures:
The ineffectiveness of appointed Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh
A non-functional judicial commission established to investigate the violence
Unfulfilled promises to return to Manipur following Shah's initial four-day visit
Failure to facilitate dialogue between Kuki and Meitei MLAs
"As Prime Minister, you are fully aware that Home Minister Amit Shah has failed in his duty to restore peace in Manipur," the letter stated bluntly.
The organisation presented several demands, including the removal of both Home Minister Shah and Security Advisor Singh, dismantling of military buffer zones, and ensuring safe resettlement of displaced residents.
The DMCC's letter particularly emphasised the political implications of the crisis, noting that the BJP lost both Lok Sabha seats in Manipur for the first time - a development they directly attribute to the government's handling of the situation.