Disarmament pre-condition for talks: Yechury
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 21 2023:
The government must ensure disarmament to start the talks with the warring Kuki and Meitei communities for resolving the crisis in Manipur, said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at Manipur Press Club, Yechury advised the double engine' government of the BJP to double its efforts in resolving the conflict, which has been going on for over three months.
"There has to be some sort of dialogue and discussion, and that is where the governments -- both Centre and state -- have the primary responsibility.
If it's a double-engine government, then please make double-energy efforts to try and bring everybody together to a table.
We have done this in the past.
It is the only way all problems that India has faced in last 75 years have been resolved," he said.
"Disarmament should be a pre-condition for the talks.
Talks have to begin with ceasefire, and then it should proceed on the issues," he added.
Yechury also urged the Centre to send a parliamentary delegation to the state.
The governments at the Centre and in the state are either incompetent or complacent, he alleged, pointing to the continuing violence since May 3."We have told the Centre repeatedly - - send a delegation of all political parties in Parliament led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Manipur," he said, also urging the government to hold meetings with opposition parties in the state.
Yechury alleged that there were no basic amenities at the relief camps where the people affected by the violence were staying.
"We appealed to Governor Ariusuiya Uikey to interfere for ensuring the amenities," he said.
Yechury led a four-member delegation of his party to the state on a three-day visit, which began on Friday.
Besides meeting the Governor, members of the delegation also visited relief camps in Churachandpur and Moirang.
A day-long discourse on the topic "The Danger of Communalism-Biggest Challenge to the Secular Democratic Republic of India" was also'organised by Communist Party of India (Marxist) Manipur State Committee at Manipur Press Club on Sunday.
Speaking at the event, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechuri stressed that all people of India irrespective of caste, creed, race and religion should enjoy equal rights.
However, the rules of the Indian Constitution have been destroyed with the advent of the BJP government through their Hindutva politics.
While contending that electoral politics being pursued by the BJP are the prime causes for various issues and problems across the country, he asked the BJP government to discuss on means to solve the problems faced the different communities in the north eastern part of India.
Moreover, the BJP should also take up specific measures which could solve the unrest situation in the state as violence Will not bring solution to the Manipur crisis.
Therefore, the state and the central government should take up measures to restore peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest, he said.
The discourse was also attended by CPI (M) central committee member Suprakash Talukdar and CPI (M) Manipur State Committee secretary Kshetrimayum Santa in addition to members and workers of the party.