Congress leaders meet President Droupadi Murmu over Manipur crisis

Congress demanded villages near foothills of both communities must be covered with adequate security so that armed militants do not intrude and disturb peace

Congress on Tuesday knocked on the doors of the Rashtrapati Bhavan seeking President Droupadi Murmu's intervention in bringing normalcy in violence-hit Manipur and demanded a "high-level Inquiry Commission" headed by a serving or retired Supreme Court judge to investigate the chain of incidents that started on May 3.

A delegation led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge met Murmu and handed over a four-page memorandum with a 12-point charter of demands, while insisting that there has been "serious deficit" in the BJP-led government's efforts to tackle the arson and violence though they did not want to resort to blame game.

"Though there were several lapses in the management of the situation at the early stages of violence, leading to the present imbroglio. Now it is not the time to point fingers, but to act...The Congress party is a responsible political party and is ever ready to lend support to any initiative to restore peace, normalcy and harmony in the state of Manipur," the memorandum said.

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The memorandum demanded "firm and sustained efforts" to control violence, adequate compensation for those who were killed in violence, immediate steps to control all militant groups, rehabilitation of all displaced people, special effort to trace missing people and taking over of relief camps by state administration among others.

"...If these suggestions above are implemented in earnest, peace can perhaps be restored once again," it said.

It claimed people have demonstrated a "severe trust deficit" both in the administration and law enforcement agencies, which needs immediate redressal and without fixing this, it would be "extremely difficult" to restore normalcy in Manipur.

Those who were part of the delegation were former Chief Minister Ibobi Singh, Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, former Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam and Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh and Congress state in-charge Bhakta Charan Das.

Addressing a press conference after the delegation met the President, Congress General Secretary (Communication) Jairam Ramesh alleged that the present situation in Manipur was due to the "divisive politics" of the BJP. He also alleged that the same militant groups, whose tacit support the BJP had taken in the Assembly election, are fanning violence in the state.

"It is the intelligence failure, the administrative failure and the political failure in Manipur," he said adding that the current crisis is because of the intent and policies" as well as the lack of political will on the part of the state and central governments.

"This is the second time in the last 22 years. Manipur burned in the June of 2001 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji was the prime minister, Manipur is burning in 2023 when Narendra Modi is the prime minister. There is something in the politics and ideology of the BJP, there is something in the way the BJP manages the diversity of Manipur and other states that is not conducive to social harmony in the long run," he said.

Ibobi Singh claimed Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have remained silent so far and their intentions were not resolving the crisis and bringing immediate peace. "Why is the prime minister silent? Why is Amit Shah silent? They have remained a silent spectator," he said. (ENDS)