Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke on the Manipur issue in parliament amid the Opposition’s allegation that he had “turned his back” to the violence-hit state.
PM Modi launched a scathing attack on the Opposition for “politicising” the sensitive issue, and said the Centre is committed to bringing normalcy in the state.
Violence has been declining and schools have reponed in most parts of the state, he told the Rajya Sabha.
In a sharp rejoinder to the Congress, PM Modi said the state had seen President’s rule 10 times in the past. “Those who are raking the issue had abandoned it. One day, Manipur will reject you,” PM Modi said.
“Those who know the history of Manipur, they know there’s a long history of social conflict in Manipur. No one can deny that the root of this social conflict is very deep. Congress people should not forget, President’s rule had to be imposed 10 times in such a small state. There must have been a reason. It didn’t happen under our government,” PM Modi said, alluding to the long rule of the Congress in Manipur.
He said that the central and state governments are talking to all stakeholders to restore peace. “Home Minister Amit Shah stayed there (Manipur) for many days,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister’s remarks come a day after the Lok Sabha saw disruptions and protests by Opposition leaders during his address.
The ostensible reason for the Opposition protests was that PM Modi’s speech came after an MP from Manipur was abruptly cut off.
When the PM started speaking, the MPs stepped it up with louder slogans and table thumping. Chants of “Manipur, Manipur” and “Justice for Manipur” rang out, drawing a reprimand from the Speaker.
On Monday, the Congress’s Inner Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam had expressed his anguish over the absence of any reference to the ethnic violence-hit state in President Droupadi Murmu’s address.
The ethnic violence that began in May 2023 between the valley-dominant Meitei community and nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.
The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the nearly two dozen tribes that share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administrative carved out of Manipur.
