"Meiteis sacrificed for India's geo-political gains"
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 20 2024:
The people of Manipur, particu-larly Meiteis have been sacrificed for India's geo-political gains, said an alliance of ten political parties, lambasting the Centre for failing to end the Manipur crisis even after 263 days since May 3, 2023 .
The alliance, including the Congress and left parties, said the State Government must convene an all political party meeting and submit consensus resolutions taken in the meeting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At Manipur Press Club, Imphal today, Congress' Hareswar Goswami, representing the ten political parties, said the Central Government and the State Government have not acted sincerely to end the crisis.
While no concrete steps have been taken up to bring about a solution, more innocent lives have been lost to the violence, he said.
Even after the admission of the Union Home Minister about involvement of illegal immigrants in the violent conflict, the BJP Governments in the Centre and the State are unable to face the "enemy", he said.
The Central Government is said to have deployed more than 80,000 armed personnel in Manipur.
However, these immense num- bers of personnel were not seen anywhere when Kuki militants attacked State forces in Moreh and civilians on the outskirts of the valley areas.
While the Centre hasn't acted against Kuki narco-terrorists, Hareswar Goswami said the Government of India's reluctance to act against the militants may have a geopolitical angle.
He said India's relations with her neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar have deteriorated and most of them have become "anti-India" .
Hareswar said the Meiteis have been sacrificed for India's geo-political gains.
The present crisis is the first after the 7 Years Devastation where Meiteis were killed en masse, he said.
AAP State Activity Coordinator Thiyam Sunildro, who was present in the press meet, said since the start of the conflict, the State's political parties and legislators have not been given any opportunity to apprise the Prime Minister on the crisis till today.
The State Government must convene an all party meeting as soon as possible to take some concrete resolutions on the crisis and apprise the Prime Minister, he said.