A five-member delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs, which reached the Manipur capital Imphal on Wednesday afternoon, said that it would meet “all groups and communities” in the violence-hit state and listen to their problems. The TMC has been claiming that the “divisive” policies of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur have led to the ethnic strife which has claimed over 150 lives.
Upon landing in Imphal, Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev told reporters, “Our leader Mamata Banerjee has sent a delegation of five MPs to listen to all the sides. Banerjee had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier and wanted to visit the state. But the home minister did not facilitate her visit. Later, she directed us to visit the state for a day or two.” “We want to assure the people of Manipur that our leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee want peace. We want to hear and listen to all because we want everyone to coexist. We will take a helicopter to Churachandpur and visit the relief camps in the evening. We also plan to meet the governor,” Dev said.
The Rajya Sabha MP also said that the TMC chief instructed the delegation to meet members of all the communities and people of all religions to understand the ground reality in the state. “We will stand by the people in Parliament,” she said, adding, “The Central and state governments have somehow not been able to contain the situation.” The TMC delegation comprises Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien, Rajya Sabha MPs Dola Sen and Sushmita Dev and Lok Sabha MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Kalyan Banerjee.
According to Sen, “We are here to hear the plight of the common people of Manipur.” More than 150 people have lost their lives, and several others have sustained varying injuries since ethnic violence broke out in the state on 3 May. A “Tribal Solidarity March” had been organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand to be categorised under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 percent and reside mostly in the state’s hill regions.
Meanwhile, the state government in Manipur government temporarily removed the daily curfew relaxation in five of the state’s valley districts between 5 am and 6 pm. It also clamped a full curfew in view of a rally that was slated to be held yesterday. The government’s decision comes after the Kwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee for Peace, which represents the womenfolk of the main market in Imphal town, made a public appeal to make a rally called the “Mothers’ Protest” a “roaring success”.
The committee’s co-convenor, K Dhaneshori on Tuesday urged all mothers in each locality in Imphal to come out between 11 am and 1 pm to raise slogans demanding rejection of separate administration, implementation of NRC and immediate convening of an emergency Assembly session. The Committee also put out a public appeal to protest against the continuing violence in the state. Security measures have been intensified in capital Imphal as well. In an unrelated development, state police detained 30 persons for their alleged involvement in the attack on Inspector General of Police (Zone 2) K Kabib and his escort on Monday night at Kwakeithel in Imphal West district where his vehicle was torched.
Warring groups in possession of illegal arms
IMPHAL : Over six lakh bullets and 3,000 weapons are still in possession of warring communities in Manipur as officials and experts warn that the state might see a resurgence of banned terror groups. Officials “closely monitoring” the situation said that .303 rifles, Medium Machine Guns (MMG) and AK assault rifles, carbines, Insas Light Machine Guns, Insas rifles, M-16 and MP5 rifles were reported to be missing from the armouries of the police in May. Around 6 lakh bullets have been found missing during the waves of attacks carried out on police and other security officials since clashes began in the state. According to officials, around 4,537 arms and 6.32 lakh rounds of ammunition were missing mainly from Manipur Police Training Centre, 7th India Reserve battalion and 8th Manipur Rifles, both located at Khabeisoi in Imphal city. Of the stolen weapons, 2,900 are lethal whereas others comprised teargas and mini flare guns. The present unrest has already seen the resurgence of near-dormant banned groups like United National Liberation Front , People’s Liberation Army, Kanglei Yawol, Kanba Lup and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak.