MPCC urges MPs to raise Manipur issue in Parliament
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 06 2023: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has urged the MPs elected from Manipur to raise the State's burning issue in Parliament and persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the issue.

Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, MPCC president K Meghachandra strongly condemned the massacre of 13 youths at Leithao village, Tengnoupal district under Machi police station on December 4, and extended condolences on behalf of the Congress party.

Saying that the place where the 13 youth were massacred is quite close to an Assam Rifles post, Meghachandra asked how and who shot to death all the 13 youth at one time.

He also expressed grave concern over the emergence of such genocidal killing and pointed out that many of the victims of the Laithao Massacre were taking refuge in relief camps after their houses were burnt down by Kuki militants.

"We don't know if there is any agenda behind the Government's reluctance to take up any concrete action to bring an end to the more than seven months old violence.

When will the Government do anything to prevent such genocidal killings?", he asked.

It is rather unfortunate that neither the Prime Minister nor the Union Home Minister has bothered to say anything on the brutal murder of the 13 youngsters, he decried.

Leaders of the BJP's double-engine Government have been watching silently when people are dying almost everyday in the State, he said.

When some people died in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry due to a cyclone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) promptly and expressed condolences.

The Prime Minister condoled the cyclone victims because they were Indian citizens but Narendra Modi has not yet uttered a single word even though Manipur has been literally burning for the last seven months during which a large number of people have been killed, many others missing, thousands of houses burnt down and tens of thousands rendered homeless, the MPCC president lamented.

The Central Government and the State Government have not taken any responsibility in connection with the protracted violence, he said.

With the Government of India placing little value on the lives of Manipuris even though they are bonafide citizens of India, many people have started questioning how long Manipuris should suffer as second class citizens of India, Meghachandra said.

The State Government banned mobile internet since May 3 and the people appealed repeatedly to lift the ban but the Government paid no heed.

Suddenly, the ban was lifted on December 3, the day results of Assembly elections of four States were declared in which BJP won in three States.

It was no coincidence rather it was aimed at gaining political mileage, the MPCC president said.

BJP leaders of the State including the Chief Minister celebrated BJP's victory in three States by sharing cakes among themselves while conveniently overlooking the plight of thousands of people whose houses had been burnt down, he pointed out.

He then urged BJP Lok Sabha Member Dr RK Ranjan, BJP Rajya Sabha Member Leisemba Sanajaoba and NPF Lok Sabha Member Dr Lorho S Pfoze to raise and discuss thoroughly the Manipur crisis in the ongoing Parliament session.

The MPCC president urged the three MPs to raise the MP issue, debate with fellow MPs and persuade the Prime Minister to speak on the protracted crisis.

He appealed to the three MPs to take pivotal roles in exploring a solution to the Manipur crisis.

Although the BJP Government has been claiming that the violent crisis stemmed from the Government's actions on poppy cultivation, influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, unfenced border, free movement regime, encroachment into reserved forests etc, the Congress party sees the conflict as a reflection of international geopolitics, he said.

It is now very clear that Manipur has been bearing the brunt of geopolitical repercussions which emanated from the foreign policy lapses of the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister, he asserted.

If the Government of India was determined, it could have resolved the Manipur crisis months back but the Government of India has been adopting double-standard on the burning issue of Manipur, Meghachandra continued.

It would not be difficult to neutralise the Government of India's double-standard policy if there is a strong Government in the State, he said.

The Government of India is applying double-standard on the Myanmar crisis too.

According to a UN report, the Government of India supplied sophisticated weapons worth Rs 422 crore to the Myanmar junta.

Russia and China too have been supplying arms to the Myanmar junta.

However, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi came under heavy pressure from the USA and Europe, the Government of India extended support and provided arms to the pro-democracy groups, Meghachandra said.

The Government of India is still helping PDF fighters, he said.

He also urged the Government to seek suggestions from intellectuals, learned citizens and convene an all political party meeting in order to explore a solution to the protracted crisis.

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