Guwahati: In what could be arguably the biggest drama in the wake of intensified violence in Manipur, Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh took to social media Friday to announce that he was not resigning from office.
When news of his resignation trickled in, people started crowding the entrance of the CM Secretariat in Imphal. Soon, photos of a torn resignation letter were flashed across television with reports suggesting a change in decision at the eleventh hour.
At 4.01 pm, a message came from the chief minister’s verified Twitter handle confirming that he was here to stay. “At this crucial juncture, I wish to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of Chief Minister,” he tweeted.
At this crucial juncture, I wish to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of Chief Minister.
— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) June 30, 2023
The resignation drama unfolded a day after tension erupted at Imphal’s Ima Market and adjoining areas when security forces resorted to teargas shelling to clear a mob build-up. Several were injured in the incident, sources added.
Earlier in the day, as news spread of the chief minister deciding to step down, hordes of protesters, mostly women, lined up the road from the secretariat to the Raj Bhawan. Womenfolk started gathering in front of the ‘Nupi Lal’ complex along the Kanglapat road at 11 am, following reports of Singh likely to meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey. However, it is not known if the CM had sought an audience with the Governor to submit his resignation. The appointment was scheduled at 3pm, the sources said.
As the day progressed, more people joined and a human barricade of sorts was formed at the entrance of the CM Secretariat. Sources said Biren Singh had stepped out of his residence to make way to the Governor’s House when he encountered the large group of locals persuading him not to resign.
Minutes later, cabinet ministers Govindas Konthoujam and L. Susindro made a crowd announcement that the chief minister will not resign. Sources said an elderly woman from the crowd tore apart the two-line resignation letter, a copy of which is available with ThePrint.
#WATCH | Moment when women supporting Manipur CM Biren Singh tore up his resignation letter pic.twitter.com/dB8IjWNmya
— ANI (@ANI) June 30, 2023
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Eventually, protesters started dispersing
While certain Kuki civil society organisations have been pressing for the removal of Biren Singh, several other valley-based organisations are reportedly backing him. Observers said the chief minister’s resignation would have led Manipur to a new spell of political uncertainty amid protests and violence that have intensified over the days and continue to claim lives.
A resident of Imphal claimed the entire episode to be an “eyewash” and a “last-ditch attempt by the Chief Minister to save his post.”
“This seems premeditated. In normal circumstances, it is impossible for few individuals to gather at a high-security zone — near the Governor’s Bungalow or the Chief Minister’s residence. But thousands could assemble in a cordoned area and at a time when the state continues to see violence. People waited from 11am till about 2pm even as curfew is in place,” the local resident told ThePrint.
On Thursday evening, confrontation erupted between women and police in the bazaar area of Imphal when the mortal remains of a village volunteer was brought to the Ima Keithel for a ceremony. The deceased had suffered fatal injuries in a gunfight that took place in periphery area of Imphal West the same day.
As the police tried to take the body to the morgue, the women vendors erupted in protest. To control the situation, police along with the Rapid Action Force and other central paramilitary forces fired teargas shells and mock bombs. The irate mob torched a police checkpost in the market area, local sources told ThePrint.
The body was later taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) morgue even as tear gas shelling continued till night.
‘Intense political pressure’
Sources within the BJP said Biren Singh is facing “intense political pressure” from the party top brass, particularly after his last meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi a few days ago.
The turn of events on Friday comes three days after Biren Singh and security advisor Kuldiep Singh held separate meetings with representatives of Meira Paibi (Meitei women), and representatives of the civil society group — the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI).
A day before the consultations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a meeting along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior leaders to take stock of the situation in Manipur. During the meeting, he was apprised of the measures taken by the government to restore peace.
For a long time, Biren Singh has been backed by the BJP leadership to continue in the chair even as there were calls for leadership change several times since he took oath as the Manipur chief minister on 15 March, 2017.
On 24 June, the Manipur CM was summoned to Delhi for a meeting with Shah at his official residence. He reportedly landed in the national capital in a charter flight. Shah had also chaired an all-party meeting to discuss the prevailing situation in the state.
Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba, BJP Northeast incharge Sambit Patra were among those who attended the meeting in Delhi.
Returning from Delhi Sunday, Biren Singh told the local media that the current situation has led to a state of lawlessness, for which the Union home minister advised the state government to engage in talks with civil society organisations and stakeholders as a last resort to peace.
He added that the Home Minister has assured the state of “taking maximum responsibility” in resolving the issues, while also assuring of strict action against “certain groups under Suspension of Operations (SoO), found defying ground rules.”
Ethnic conflict between Meitei and Kuki armed civilian groups has resulted in over 130 deaths and many more injuries, intelligence sources said. In gun fights and incidents of arson and clashes during the second month of the conflict, houses have been burned and villages destroyed. The official residences of state legislators were also not spared.
Earlier on Monday, the Army had tweeted how road blockades by women volunteers in the fringe villages have hindered movement of security forces to areas where clashes are reported. The first responders including Village Defence Forces (VDF) volunteers in the peripheral areas of the hills and valley districts have also found themselves embroiled in hostilities, making rescues difficult for the security personnel on ground.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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