New Delhi: With imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur, groundwork to end the ongoing ethnic violence will begin and pave the way for an environment conducive to political dialogue, Kuki civil society groups said Thursday.
Speaking to ThePrint, Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) spokesperson Ginza Vualzong said President’s Rule is more preferable than a change in chief minister. “The Kuki-Zo do not trust Meitei anymore, so a new Meitei CM is still far from comforting.”
Lun Kipgen, a spokesperson for the Committee on Tribal Unity, also welcomed the move but added that it came a “bit too late”.
“After 21 months of unresolved unrest, it is the correct decision and right step towards restoring normalcy but it is a little bit too late. But we welcome it. At least PR (President’s Rule) will lay the basic foundation to restore normalcy. We have been asking for PR for a long time,” he said.
Kipgen added that they had lost all faith in the state machinery. “The civilians in the valley are militarised, they have looted state armories and all this in police presence. The police have been unable to disarm them. We don’t trust the state as it is complicit. Meitei civilians have been emboldened, the machinery is polarized. PR this will bring some balance.”
He, however added that the larger demand for a separate administration stands. Vualzong too said President’s Rule has given a ray of hope to Kukis and they believe they are now one step closer to a political solution.
“The larger demand for separate administration remains. PR is not a solution, it’s a way out,” said Kipgen.
ThePrint also reached the Meitei Heritage Society but its spokesperson was not available for comment. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Four days after N. Biren Singh resigned as chief minister of Manipur, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Thursday notified the imposition of President’s Rule in the state under Article 356 of the Constitution, keeping the Assembly in suspended animation. With this move, the Centre will take over all functioning of the state government except that of the legislature.
‘Way forward’
With former home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in the Raj Bhavan in Imphal, there is hope of dialogue between the two communities, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. “Whatever damage has been done has to be repaired. With Ajay Bhalla now in charge, it is expected that the law and order situation will improve, and a foundation to at least start a dialogue, that has been long pending, will be laid,” said an MHA official who did not wish to be named.
The notification to impose President’s Rule in Manipur issued Thursday by the MHA read: “Whereas, I, Droupadi Murmu, President of India, have received a report from the Governor of the state of Manipur and after considering the report and other information received by me, I am satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the Government of that State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India.”
It went on to add that, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 356, and of all other powers enabling the President in that behalf, the President will assume to herself all functions of the Manipur government and all powers vested in or exercisable by the governor of the state. It also said powers of the state legislature shall be exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament—essentially keeping the Assembly in animated suspension.
Clause ‘c’ of the notification says the operation of stated provisions of the Constitution in relation to the state is hereby “suspended” … “so much of the provision to Article 3 as relates to the reference by the President to the Legislature of the state”. This implies that the state legislature has effectively been kept in suspended animation.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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