Congress to Raise Manipur Issues in Parliament
After a meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi, Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh announced that the party will raise the Manipur issue in Parliament. Singh stated, “We had a discussion over the Manipur issues and raising it in the Parliament. There have many incidents that took place in Manipur, that were discussed in the meeting.”
Earlier, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the central government over the Manipur issue, stating, “This time, Manipur voted for compassion, peace and harmony. PM Modi’s abject apathy towards the people of Manipur was resoundingly rejected. BJP’s state Government is complicit in failing to prevent violence, even as tens of thousands of people still suffer the unending circle of turmoil.”
On June 17, Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a holistic review of the security situation in Manipur in a high-level meeting in the national capital. He directed that “no further incident of violence takes place” and emphasized the strategic deployment of central forces to restore peace. Shah also mentioned that forces will be increased if required and directed strict action against perpetrators of violence.
The Home Minister also instructed the Chief Secretary of Manipur to ensure proper health and education facilities for displaced people and their rehabilitation. He highlighted the importance of a coordinated approach to resolve the ongoing ethnic conflict and stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs will talk to both the Meiteis and Kukis to bridge the ethnic divide.
Manipur has been experiencing ethnic violence since May 3 last year, following clashes during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category. Recently, several houses belonging to both Meitei and Kuki communities were burned by unknown miscreants in Kotlen, and around 600 people from Manipur’s Jiribam area are now taking shelter in Assam’s Cachar district following fresh violence.
