Guwahati: In his third visit to strife-torn Manipur, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state, reiterating that he should have done so long ago.
“Prime Minister should have visited long ago. I feel that he should come here, and listen to the people of Manipur… Even if there was no tragedy, he should have come. I request the Prime Minister to take one-two days of his time, and come to Manipur,” Rahul told the media at the Congress Bhawan in Imphal.
The Congress leader highlighted the fact that it was his third visit to Manipur since the ethnic conflict broke out in May last year. He had first visited in June last year, and for a second time during the party’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in January. He had then visited Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts in a customised Volvo bus.
Early Monday morning, hundreds gathered to welcome Rahul as he visited the Youth Care Centre relief camp in Fulertal of Assam’s Cachar District, donning a traditional shawl of the Hmar community.
He then proceeded to the Jiribam Higher Secondary School Relief Camp by road. There, he interacted with natives who had fled their homes last month when violence erupted, days after results to the Lok Sabha elections were announced. Section 144 imposed in Manipur’s Jiribam after police had recovered a mutilated body that had led to torching of houses.
Manipur is a proud State of the Indian Union – every patriot should reach out and help bring back peace here.
In the face of this huge tragedy, I request the Prime Minister to come here, listen to the people and offer them comfort.
Congress party is ready to support anything… pic.twitter.com/C6aplaBjnL
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 8, 2024
In the wee hours Monday, an incident of “speculative firing” was reported at Phaitol, Jiribam. Two individuals were arrested and held in police custody, and two small weapons were recovered from their possession, security sources told ThePrint. The sources also confirmed that this incident has “no link” with Rahul’s visit to the state.
Highlighting the current situation on ground, the Congress leader said that there has been no improvement in the past one year.
“It has been a tremendous tragedy. I was expecting some improvement in the situation, but I was quite disappointed to see that the situation is still nowhere near what it should be. I visited the camps and heard the people there —heard their pain. I came here to listen to them, to build confidence in them, and as somebody who is in the opposition, try and apply pressure on the government so that it acts,” he told the media.
“Here, the need of the hour is peace. Violence is hurting everybody, thousands of families have been harmed, properties destroyed, family members killed. I have never seen anywhere in India what is going on here. The state is completely split in two, and it’s a tragedy for everybody involved.”
From Jiribam, Rahul returned to the Silchar airport to take a special flight to Imphal. Upon landing in the state capital Monday afternoon, he travelled to Churachandpur district by road.
People lined up on both sides to welcome Rahul and his team. A banner reading ‘Rahul – Hope of our Future’ was put up at the Kaprang check post in Churachandpur, while the womenfolk prepared tea for his arrival. The Congress leader was accompanied by members of the Manipur Pradesh Congress, including Alfred Arthur, the Outer Manipur parliamentarian.
Rahul visited the Kuki Inpi Churachandpur Relief Camp at Tuibuong where he interacted with the locals and distributed sweets among children. On the occasion, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a civil society organisation, submitted a memorandum to Rahul, highlighting challenges and demands of the Kuki-Zo community, and requesting for support.
Among other issues, the memorandum focussed on the condition of the internally displaced, besides lack of connectivity, emergency medical services, and the plight of students.
From Churachandpur, he proceeded to Moirang and stopped by at the Phubala High School relief camp in the area. After meeting with the inmates at the camp, he travelled to Imphal and had an audience with the Governor at the Raj Bhavan Monday evening. He later briefed the media in this regard.
“I want to tell all the people of Manipur. I come here as your brother… The Congress party is ready to do whatever it can to bring back peace. We expressed to the Governor that we would like to help in whatever way we can, and also expressed displeasure with the progress that has taken place here,” Rahul said.
“I don’t want to politicise this issue — it’s not my intention. As I said, I come here as a brother, a family member; and I understand that entire Manipur is suffering, and needs to get out of this suffering as soon as possible.
I would request everybody to think about peace, think about brotherhood. Violence and hatred is not going to get any solution,” the Leader of the Opposition told the media after meeting Governor Anusuiya Uikey.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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