Situation in Manipur ‘very serious’, Centre not taking strong steps: Opposition MPs after visiting state | India News

NEW DELHI: A delegation of opposition MPs on Sunday described the situation in strife-torn Manipur is “very serious” and accused the Centre of not taking strong enough steps to stem the violence in the northeastern state.

The delegation of 21 MPs, representing the newly-formed opposition bloc INDIA, were in Manipur for a two-day visit to assess the ground situation.
After returning from the violence-hit areas, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that “uncertainty and fear” are looming large in Manipur.

The leaders asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict, which is lingering for around three months, is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country.
Earlier, the opposition leaders also called on Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan in Imphal and submitted a memorandum on their observations during the visit.
“Silence of Hon’ble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur,” they said in the memorandum.
Chowdhury, the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, told reporters at the airport that there is “fear and uncertainty” in the minds of the people of Manipur and the situation is “very serious.”
“Uncertainty is looming large in Manipur. Thousands of people have been dislodged from their homes. They do not know when they will return to their homes. Farming has come to a halt,” he said.
“I do not know how the division between the Kukis and Meiteis will be bridged. No strong steps are taken by the government, be it the central government or the state government,” he said.
The Manipur issue has rocked Parliament‘s monsoon session with the opposition alliance pressing for a statement from the Prime Minister before a debate.
While the opposition has now given notice for a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, the government has defended its handling of the Manipur situation, stressing that it has been more proactive than the governments of the past when ethnic violence had erupted in the state.
“Saara Manipur jal raha hai aur PM bansuri baja rahe hain (When Manipur is burning our PM is fiddling,” Chowdhury stated in a play on the old saying ‘Nero fiddles while Rome burns’.
TMC leader Sushmita Dev said, “I think there is a complete loss of faith in the Manipur CM (N Biren Singh). Common people and masses are no longer supporting the Manipur CM.”
In the memorandum submitted to Manipur Governor Uikey, the opposition MPs who signed the document demanded urgent rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people to bring peace and harmony to the state.
“From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months,” the memorandum read.
Later, TMC leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her anguish over the situation in the state, saying her heart aches upon hearing heart-wrenching stories from the state.
She also urged the people of Manipur to “embrace peace for the sake of humanity”.
‘Opposition trying to make political capital out of Manipur violence‘
Reacting strongly to the opposition leaders’ visit to Manipur, BJP leader Tarun Chugh said they are trying to make political capital out of the violence by misleading people.
Talking to reporters, Chugh alleged the opposition parties, which have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), are spreading lies and misguiding people for their own interests.
He reminded the Congress leaders that people who suffered during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots are still living in camps.
“Did the Congress ever lead any such delegation to visit those camps?” Chugh asked.
He also claimed that Congress leaders never expressed concern about violence in West Bengal.
More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundred were injured since ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.
(With inputs from PTI)
Watch People of Manipur are extremely scared, says Opposition team after visiting the state