After the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said something about the Manipur crisis in Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament on July 3, Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren is embolden to reiterate in public that the Manipur Government is continuing its efforts to bring back peace to the State under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Notably, on August 9, 2023, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a discussion on Congress-led INDIA Alliance’s No-Confidence Motion against the Narendra Modi Government which was moved deliberately to let the Prime Minister address the Manipur crisis in Parliament, said the violence was triggered by an influx of Kukis from Myanmar into Manipur, which “created insecurities among Meiteis”. This was the first time Amit Shah had named a particular community for the crisis in Manipur.
“A Kuki Democratic Front started a movement there, and the military rulers launched a crackdown on them. As there is no border fencing, a large number of Kuki brothers came to Manipur and Mizoram as refugees,” Shah told the Parliament. He was referring to the armed resistance against the junta in Myanmar and the attendant refugee movement across the Indo-Myanmar border.
Moreover, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah also said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Manipur led by Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren is cooperating with the Union Government.
In response to the No-Confidence Motion, on August 10, 2023 after the Opposition walked out as there was no mention of Manipur even after 1 hour and 40 minutes of Prime Minister Modi’s speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started to speak about Manipur and said, “Yesterday (August 9, 2023), Amit bhai (Shah) said that an order came from Manipur High Court, which saw a sequence of events that led to violence in Manipur. Many families lost their loved ones. Terrible crimes were committed against women and this is condemnable.”
He continued, “To punish the perpetrators both Central and State Governments are trying their best. I want to assure all citizens that all our efforts are underway and peace will soon be restored. Manipur will move forward with new atma vishwas (self confidence) towards development soon.”
“I also want to tell the people of Manipur, to the women, daughters and sisters that the country is with you and this House is with you. Together we will confront this challenge and bring back peace. I want to tell Manipur that we are trying our best to ensure Manipur moves towards peace soon,” PM Modi stressed.
This year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 3 in the Rajya Sabha said that the Central Government is making efforts to normalise the situation in the North-Eastern State of Manipur, which has been witnessing the violent conflict between the Kuki-Zomi militants and the Meiteis since May 3 last year.
Prime Minister Modi’s statement comes only after the Oppostion INDIA Bloc persistently poited out the no-mention of Manipur in the Presidential address to the joint sitting of the both houses and persistent pressure to the Narendra Modi Government by sloganeering about Manipur in the Parliament to address the Manipur issue; and questioning the reasons of absence of Manipur in the President’s speech and silence of the Central Government on Manipur issue by Manipur MP Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam in his maiden speech in the midnight hour on July 1, 2024 in the debate on the “Mothion of Thanks’ on the President’s Address.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was replying to the debate on ‘Motion of Thanks’ on the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha where there is no opposition member from Manipur except his ruling party, BJP’s MP Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba. Modi’s remarks on Manipur came a day after his speech in Lok Sabha where he maintained the no-mention of Manipur was marked by sloganeering by opposition members who were urging him to address the Manipur issue.
And Modi’s statement comes in the wake of persistent protests by the Opposition, which has accused the PM of being silent on the issue and not visiting the State even once. The Congress MPs from Manipur, Angomacha Bimol Akoijam and Alfred Kanngam S. Arthur, had led the protest in the well of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, July 2 as the Prime Minister spoke.
This brief mention of Manipur in his 134-minute long speech marks only the second time he has spoken about the Manipur issue in the Parliament in the last 14 months since the violent conflict erupted last year. During his remarks, he acknowledged the violent crisis but emphasized the efforts being made by both the Central and State Governments to normalise the situation.
However, even after the violent conflict has continued for more than 14 months, sporadic violent attacks by the Kuki-Zomi militants against the Meiteis in the peripheries of Manipur central valley from the surrounding mountains continue instead of peace. There is no end of violence.
Besides the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke another two times. Addressing to the citizens from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 77th Independence Day of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2023 reiterating what he said in his reply to the opposition INDIA Alliance’s no-confidence motion, appealed for peace in violent-hit Manipur saying that people across the country stand with the people of the Northeastern State.
“The whole country stands with the people of Manipur. Peace is the only way to resolve all disputes. The Centre and the Manipur government are making every effort to ensure that peace returns to the State at the earliest,” PM Modi said.
“Since the last couple of days, reports of peace have been coming in. India is with Manipur. The peace needs to continue and solutions will only be found through peace,” Modi said in his speech at the Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day.
Modi said, the women of Manipur have suffered much. “The nation is with Manipur,” he reiterated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to break his silence as first response to the Manipur crisis on July 20 last year; 70 days after the violence began in Manipur’s Churachandpur district and after a harrowing video of two Kuki women being paraded naked surfaced online. Modi was compelled to condemn the incident of two Kuki women being paraded naked following the national and global outrage.
However, the response of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Modi Government to the Manipur crisis has largely been evasive.
On the other hand, speaking to the media at the BJP Manipur Office at Keishampat Nityaipat Chuthek in Imphal after a party executive meeting held there, Manipur Chief Minister Nongthmobam Biren on July 10 said that talks between the two communities – Kuki and Meitei – involved in the ongoing ethnic conflict have already started and peace has begun to return to the state. He asserted that the Manipur Government is continuing its efforts to bring back peace to the state under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah though didn’t give details of the talks. The meeting was attended by Union Minister of Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal; BJP Northeast Region in-Charge, Sambit Patra; Manipur’s cabinet ministers, and MLAs.
According to reports, Chief Minister Biren said whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the state or not is a non-issue, since his government is in touch with him round the clock.
Chief Minister Biren said, “There is no question of the PM coming or not coming. What is being done in Manipur right now – security measures, relief work, development, and peace talks between both communities (Kuki and Meitei) – are all happening under the leadership of the Prime Minister. They may have discussed on the central level, but we have to solve the issues by mediating with each other.”
However in contrast to what Manipur Chief Minister Biren claims, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) on July 11 that they have no knowledge of any ‘peace talk’ between the “Kuki-Zo” people and Meitei, as mentioned by the Chief Minister.
KIM in a press statement on July 11 said Kuki Inpi will remain committed to its resolve for a political boycott of the Manipur Government alleging for orchestrating and perpetrating the persecution against the “Kuki-Zo” people.
It said that the “Kuki-Zo” people, who have been victims of the alleged state-sponsored ethnic cleansing campaign of the Manipur State Government, “cannot negotiate with our oppressors for justice and equality for our people”.
“A demand for Union Territory with the legislature for the Kuki-Zo people has long been forwarded to the Government of India for constitutional course of action and the Kuki-Zo people are only resolute to commit to the same until fulfilment”.
“Any supposed peace talk or political negotiations, without the knowledge of the Kuki Inpi and its constituent organisations, is only illusionary. The Kuki Inpi and its constituent organisations are the only legitimate bodies to manoeuvre a way forward for the Kuki-Zo people,” it added.
The Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) also has urged the Chief Minister to disclose the precise details of the talks between the Kuki and Meitei regarding the Manipur crisis and the restoration of peace.
Despite assurances from the Prime Minister and Home Minister besides Manipur Chief Minister to bring peace and normalcy in Manipur, the violent conflict has entered 15th month. Although they all say about bringing peace and normalcy in the State, there are flaws in what they said in public.
Even if peace is a far cry from what the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Manipur Chief Minister and other Union Ministers and leaders have promised to bring about in Manipur, the Central and State Governments must at least end the violence first at any cost.
However unfortunately, whenever Chief Minister Nongthombam talks about peace, there arise contradictions from the Kuki-Zomi groups countering the claims of Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren creating more confusion about the Manipur crisis amongst the people.
Senior Editor: Imphal Review of Arts and Politics
