Manipur: 10 Opposition parties go to governor Anusuiya Uikey to seek way out of 5-month-old crisis

 Memorandum requests Anusuiya Uikey to help bring peace, save democracy, and provide adequate relief and rehabilitation to those affected by the strife involving Meiteis and Kukis

Anusuiya Uikey.: File picture

Umanand Jaiswal, TT, Guwahati, 15.10.23 :  Ten Opposition parties in Manipur have in a joint memorandum to governor Anusuiya Uikey expressed their concern at the lack of “meaningful peace talks” to end the unrest in the northeastern state.

The memorandum, submitted to the governor on Friday afternoon, requests her to help bring peace, save democracy, and provide adequate relief and rehabilitation to those affected by the strife involving Meiteis and Kukis.

It underlines that the crisis has been continuing for more than five months, and asserts that “no meaningful peace talks with the concerned stakeholders is in sight”.

“You (governor) will agree that both the central and state governments have chosen the path of non-intervention to the crisis of clash between the ethnic groups,” the memorandum says.

“Rather, they are trying to sideline the main reasons behind the crisis by taking shelter (in) the theory of conspiracy by outside militant organisation with intent to assault India.

“Finding solution by correctly analysing the causes behind the crisis requires no emphasis. It is high time for the central and state authorities to engage in peace process to bring normalcy to the state.”

The 10 political parties behind the memorandum are the Congress, Janata Dal United, CPI, CPM, Trinamul Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, All India Forward Bloc, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the RSP. These parties are part of the Opposition bloc INDIA, formed recently to take on the BJP in next year’s general election.

Central and state government representatives, including chief minister N. Biren Singh and governor Uikey, have regularly been appealing for peace and the resolution of differences through dialogue. Yet there has been no meeting between civil society organisations or elected representatives from the two warring communities.

The 10 Kuki-Zo lawmakers among the state’s 60 MLAs have steadfastly demanded a separate administration for their community, an idea opposed vehemently by Meitei organisations and MLAs, including the chief minister, who are against any “division” of Manipur.

The memorandum asserts that the “failure” of the state and central government machineries to “manage the serious crisis” of law and order has prompted “local civil societies formed by many sections of the society” to try “to fill the gap of missing governance by resorting to various forms of agitations and pronouncements”.

It has also flagged the various “prohibitory measures” imposed by the state government “to prevent the citizens from the exercise of their fundamental rights” such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and constructive criticism of the government.

This despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi “proudly” pronouncing that India is the mother of democracy, the memorandum has underlined.

“Further, both the central and state governments and vigilante groups, which are encouraged by them, have also created panic amongst the people and not allowing people to express their fundamental rights and voices are against the Constitution and democratic norms. Hence, such restrictions should be lifted immediately,” the memorandum says. “Any unlawful restriction by the government harms democracy (as) envisaged under the Constitution of India.”

The 10 Opposition parties have expressed support for any government effort to resolve the complex issues plaguing the state.

However, they have claimed that the government relief package for those affected by the strife is “inadequate in terms of coverage and quantum”.

They have urged a fresh look at the relief and rehabilitation measures, with the inclusion of people like drivers, daily wage earners and business owners affected by the crisis.

The 10 parties have flagged another pressing issue: the handover of the bodies of those killed in the unrest to families for the last rites. Manipur police had in early September said that 96 bodies lay in the morgues unclaimed.

“We would request you to arrange for handing over of mortal remains at the earliest,” the memorandum says.

The state government had on October 7 held a meeting on the identification and disposal of the bodies.

The unrest, which began on May 3, has claimed at least 176 lives and displaced over 67,000 people.