INDIA MPs Manipur visit concludes; slams Centre for ‘pathetic’ situation of State

BHUBANESWAR: National Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party Sambit Patra on Sunday took a swipe at the Opposition alliance which concluded its visit to Manipur on Sunday, saying that “politics will begin again from tomorrow”.

A delegation of 21 MPs from 16 parties of the Opposition bloc - the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) - reached Manipur on Saturday.

The 21-member delegation included Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, Trinamool MP Sushmita Dev, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sushil Gupta, Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, NK Premchandran from Revolutionary Socialist Party, Jayant Chaudhry from RLD, Kanimozhi from DMK, Thol Thirumavalavan from VCK among others. Phulo Devi Netam from Congress, Sandosh Kumar from CPI, Javed Ali Khan from Samajwadi Party, PP Mohammad Faizal from NCP, Aneel Prasad Hedge from JD (U), Sushil Gupta from AAP, Mahua Maji from JJM and Jayant Singh from RLD are also the members of the team.

The Opposition leaders, after returning from Manipur chided the Central and State government on their ‘failure’ to stop the violence and restore peace in the State.

After returning from violence-hit Manipur, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha urged the Kuki and Meitei communities to cooperate in restoring peace and harmony in the state saying that there is "no alternative to peace anywhere".

"We want peace to be restored in Manipur. Peace with justice. Our only demand is that both communities should live in harmony. The situation in Manipur is dangerous. Be it Madhya Pradesh or Manipur, there is no alternative to peace anywhere,” Jha said while talking to the media.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that the union ministers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi should also visit the state. “We are disheartened by what happened to the people there.

In the meeting with the Governor, we suggested that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, an all-India all-party delegation come here. This is what we have been suggesting since the first day. But the PM is missing. His ministers are giving statements while sitting in Delhi. They should visit Manipur to see the ground reality there..." Gogoi said.

Janata Dal (United) MP Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said that the people of the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur are facing a “sense of insecurity” and have a “lack of confidence” in the State government.

"There is a sense of insecurity and lack of confidence in the two communities. They expressed their lack of confidence in the State Government. Incidents happened since 3rd May but the State Government took no steps to control it,” Lalan Singh said while talking to ANI.

He further said that Governor Anusuiya Uikey whom the delegation of Opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance met at Raj Bhawan and said that she is doing everything in her power to restore normalcy.

“Governor said that she is doing everything in her power to restore normalcy. But we know that the Governor has limited powers and the power to run the state lies in the hands of the State Government," the JD(U) MP added.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sushmita Dev, who was also part of the delegation claimed that the Opposition wanted a visit of the all-party delegation to which the central government did not agree.

"We said that we wanted an all-party delegation but the government did not agree and that's why the I.N.D.I.A alliance visited...When PM Modi comes to the Parliament, we will keep our points but PM Modi didn't come to either Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha," she said.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, while talking to the reporters here highlighted the issues being faced by the people in the State.

"Both state government and central government are not taking any major steps for Manipur. Big things are being said in Delhi and even outside the country...people don't have food and medicines in their homes, children don't have any facilities to study, and college students can't go to college. Nothing is being done to end the fight between two communities...state government and central government have their eyes closed...", Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, the opposition MPs visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district, and Churachandpur and met victims of ethnic clashes. One team, comprising Chowdhury, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, and others, departed for Churachandpur first to visit the relief camp set up at the Boys Hostel of Churachandpur College.

Another team, comprising Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and others, went to visit a relief camp at Don Bosco School in Churachandpur, a source in the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) said.

On Sunday, leaders met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan and handed over a memorandum to her and requested her to restore peace and harmony by taking all effective measures, "where justice should be the cornerstone".

"In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent. 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," the memorandum reads.

The memorandum further read that the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows "his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur.

“The condition in the relief camps is pathetic is to say the least. Special care needs to be taken to the kids on a priority basis. Students from different streams are facing uncertain future, which has to be the priority of the state and the Union governments.The continued internet ban for the last three months is aiding lo the unsubstantiated rumours, which is adding to the existing mistrust. Silence of Hon'ble Prime Minister shows his brazen indifference to the violence in Manipur,” it added.

The leaders will meet at the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in Parliament on Monday to brief the situation of the northeastern state. The MPs who were part of the delegation will brief floor leaders of I.N.D.I.A alliance in the Parliament building at 9:30 am on Monday.

With this, the ruckus and war of words between the Treasury and Opposition benches over the prevailing situation in violence-hit Manipur may stall proceedings in both Houses of the Parliament, as they reconvene for the eighth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session on Monday.

Members of the grand Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A, have been adamant on the demand that all listed businesses in both Houses be set aside for a discussion on the Manipur situation.

The Opposition parties have been pressing for their demand since the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20.

The government has said that it is ready for debate on the issue but the Opposition has insisted on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in both the Houses of the Parliament.

The monsoon session of Parliament has seen disruptions since its beginning on July 20 with opposition members pressing their demand for a detailed discussion on Manipur and a statement from the Prime Minister.