Dr Bimol slams Manipur 'bill-dozing' sans House debate
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 08 2025: Inner Manipur MP Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam launched scathing attack against the Union government's handling of key financial legislation for Manipur, accusing it of sidelining democratic debate and ignoring the gravity of the state's ongoing crisis.

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Manipur Appropriation (No 2) Bill, 2025, by voice vote without discussion, amid Opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Dr Bimol described the move as "unfortunate to say the least", stressing that Manipur is reeling from a crisis that has affected every sphere of life, including the economy, which he said will take decades to recover.

"We need substantial support from the Centre.

The Union government must discharge its constitutional and moral responsibilities towards its citizens in the state.

The voice of the people of the state must be heard, most importantly, given a chance to be heard," he said.

The Congress MP questioned whether the Finance Minister had even consulted own party leaders and MLAs in Manipur, remarking, "For heaven's sake, Manipur is not a vassal state; it's a constituent state of the Union" .

Reacting to Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's charge that the Opposition was shedding "crocodile tears" for Manipur while stalling the House, Dr Bimol said that it was wrong to trivialise a serious issue such as the economy of a crisis-affected state.

He argued that bulldozing a budget without discussion, under the cover of a legitimate protest against the SIR, exemplified the BJP-led government's overall approach to what he termed an "unprecedented crisis" in Manipur, one that the country has not seen in its postcolonial history.

Reflecting on the Appropriation Bill which includes allocation of over Rs 500 crore for rehabilitation and a similar amount for security, Dr Bimol said the rehabilitation figure "adds to the humiliation" the people of Manipur have endured over the past two years.

He pointed to about 60,000 people rendered homeless and displaced, thousands of houses and hundreds of villages destroyed, and the loss of livelihoods.

"From the issue of their day-to-day needs, the issue of health and education of the children, do you think the amount mentioned in the budget helps? It is a cruel joke; it's nothing but sprinkling salt to the wound," he said.

Dr Bimol stressed that Manipur was not asking for charity but for what a responsible, democratic national government should provide its citizens.

The budget, he argued, should have contained a much larger economic package for internally displaced persons, alongside measures to rejuvenate the state's economy.

He proposed measures such as an income tax exemption for at least a decade to help revive economic activity, especially given the scale of the crisis.

Dr Bimol revealed that neither he nor other representatives from Manipur were consulted before the bills were brought to the House.

This underscored the central government's unilateral approach, which he contrasted with the principles of federalism.

"It's deeply ironic that in a so-called cooperative federation, representatives from the state in question are kept in the dark while decisions are taken in Delhi by people far from the realities on the ground.

This isn't just about disrespecting MPs, it's about silencing the voice of an entire state and abdication of responsibility by the Union government towards the nation itself," he said.

Had there been a debate in the Lok Sabha, Dr Bimol said, he would have argued that the Manipur crisis is not merely a matter of law and order but one of constitutional governance, moral leadership, and democratic accountability.

He said that he would have demanded answers on why there has been no comprehensive political initiative and no adequate socio-economic measures to address the crisis, why thousands of people remain displaced months after the violence began, and "most importantly, how long will the people of Manipur be treated as if they do not matter in this country?" Dr Bimol's remarks underscored a widening gulf between Manipur's ground realities and the Centre's policy responses, with the Congress MP warning that the absence of inclusive dialogue and meaningful intervention risks deepening the state's already unprecedented crisis.

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