New Delhi, Sep 4 : On Monday, the Congress launched a scathing critique of the Centre’s response to the ongoing situation in Manipur, asserting that four months after ethnic violence erupted in the state, the Modi government has “forgotten” about it. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting what he perceived as a failure to adequately address Manipur’s severe crisis during this period.
In a post on a platform, Ramesh accused the Prime Minister and his supporters of being preoccupied with international affairs such as the G20 summit, while Manipur’s plight remains overshadowed. He further lamented that Manipur’s Chief Minister, N Biren Singh, has overseen a deepening divide within Manipuri society.
Ramesh also castigated Union Home Minister Amit Shah for failing to quell the violence and recover weapons and ammunition, which has resulted in the influx of more armed groups into the conflict. He criticized Modi for not visiting Manipur, leading an all-party delegation, or initiating a credible peace process. Ramesh questioned whether Modi had even met his own cabinet colleague from Manipur.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Ramesh claimed that Manipur is experiencing a complete breakdown of the Constitutional machinery and trust between communities amid a humanitarian tragedy.
These comments followed the Manipur government’s relocation of the last of 10 Kuki families, comprising 24 members, who had been residing in Imphal’s New Lambulane area for decades. They had refused to move elsewhere even after ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state four months ago. These families were transported to the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on the northern side of the Imphal Valley due to concerns that they had become “vulnerable targets.”
The Kuki families alleged that they were forcibly evicted from their New Lambulane residences to Motbung.
The ethnic clashes in Manipur, which began in early May following a Tribal Solidarity March in protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, have resulted in over 160 fatalities and several hundred injuries. Meiteis constitute approximately 53 percent of Manipur’s population and primarily reside in the Imphal Valley, while Nagas and Kukis make up slightly over 40 percent and predominantly reside in the hill districts.
