Congress Legislature Party leader Okram Ibobi Singh on Thursday expressed concerns around the protracted clashes in Manipur and the Bharatiya Janata Party–led coalition’s inability to restore normality so far.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, the former Chief Minister of Manipur said: “Both Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are keen to come to Manipur to look into the impasse. However, the security adviser to the State government Kuldeip Singh informed us that adequate security cover is not possible for these Congress leaders since all available personnel are deployed to maintain law and order. So we have decided to call on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister Amit Shah and submit memoranda to them”.
Ibobi further said that a three-member fact finding team had visited Manipur to know the cause of the communal flare-up in Manipur. The government says that about 70 persons had died in the clashes between two communities and over 300 others wounded. But people fear that the actual number of dead persons will be higher, Ibobi added. “Besides some persons are still missing”, he said. Ibobi is wondering whether there is a hidden agenda since the violence is not contained and no central leader has visited in an attempt to stem the rot. Some houses and about 60 churches in Imphal had been demolished on the ground that these were constructed in encroached land.
Several persons are lodged in relief camps. This is not the solution since all inmates want to go back to their villages despite the fact that houses and all their belongings were burned to ashes. One youth who was staying in a relief camp at Moirang was shot dead on Thursday (May 25) in Bishnupur district. Ibobi also said that all political party meetings should be convened for finding out durable peace.
He said that Congress supports all attempts to find out the solutions. However these attempts should never be linked to the integrity of Manipur. If the situation so demands all Congress MLAs shall tender resignation and go much further. There shall be no room for any compromise on the territorial integrity of Manipur, Ibobi said, “There shall be no Manipur without the three major communities– the Meiteis, the Kukis and the Nagas”.
Ibobi said that the Congress team going to Delhi to meet with the central leaders shall include all five MLAs (MPCC president K. Meghachandra is an MLA) and Gaikhangam is an AICC member. eom
