Imphal: In a statement released on Sunday, the I.N.D.I.A. opposition bloc accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "silence" and "brazen indifference" to the ongoing situation in the northeastern state of Manipur, where an ethnic conflict has been raging for nearly three months.
Twenty-one opposition members of parliament signed a memorandum to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, calling for immediate action to restore peace and harmony in the state through the rehabilitation and relocation of the affected people.
"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 stated.
Legislators have voiced concerns that lingering distrust in the communities has been exacerbated by the ongoing internet restriction over the past three months.
"Silence of Hon'ble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur," they wrote in the memorandum.
They stressed the urgency of addressing the widespread anger and isolation felt by all communities.
"We humbly beg you to restore peace and harmony through any and all means possible, with justice at its core. The MPs urged the governor to prioritise the rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people if peace and harmony were to be restored.
Also, "you are also requested to apprise the Union government of the complete breakdown of law and order in Manipur for the last 89 days so as to enable them to intervene in the precarious situation in Manipur to restore peace and normalcy," they said.
More than 140 deaths (over 160 deaths according to official records), over 500 injuries, the destruction of more than 5,000 homes, and the internal displacement of more than 60,000 people were cited as evidence of the "failure of both the central and state governments" to protect the lives and property of the people of the two communities, according to the document.
Parliamentarians visited relief camps in Churachandpur, Moirang, and Imphal during their two-day trip to the state, and they wrote about their experiences interacting with victims and detainees there in a memorandum they sent to state authorities.
"We are, indeed, very shocked and sad to hear the stories of anxieties, uncertainties, pains, and sorrows of the individuals affected by the unprecedented violence unleashed by both sides since the beginning of the clashes," they continued.
The situation in the relief camps is awful, to put it mildly, and the memorandum stressed the importance of giving priority to the children.
It went on to say that "students from all academic disciplines face an uncertain future," which should be a top focus for national and local governments.
Later, Congress national secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted a copy of the memorandum and criticised Modi, saying that the distress of the people of Manipur means "absolutely no difference" to him.
While he is busy listening to his own voice and imposing his "Mann ki Baat" on crores of Indians, the 21 MP delegation of Team I.N.D.I.A. is meeting with the Governor of Manipur to discuss "Manipur ki Baat," as Ramesh put it.
Other members of the delegation were TMC's Sushmita Dev, JMM's Mahua Maji, DMK's Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP's P.P. Mohammed Faizal, RLD's Chaudhary Jayant Singh, RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha, RSP's N.K. Premachandran, and VCK's T. Thirumavalavan.
JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh and his party colleague Aneel Prasad Hegde, CPI's Sandosh Kumar, CPI(M)'s A A Rahim, SP's Javed Ali Khan, IUML's E T Mohammed Basheer, AAP's Sushil Gupta, VCK's D Ravikumar and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT), and Phulo Devi Netam and K Suresh of the Congress were also part of the delegation.
Since ethnic confrontations broke out in Manipur on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was arranged in the hill areas to protest against the Meitei community's desire for Scheduled Tribe (ST) designation, more than 160 people have died and several hundreds have been injured.
About 53% of Manipur's population is made up of Meiteis, the majority of whom reside in the fertile Imphal Valley. A little more than 40 percent of the population are tribal people (Nagas and Kukis), who mostly live in the hill districts.—Inputs from Agencies