Home Minister Amit Shah termed the violence in Manipur a cause of concern and said the incidents in the northeastern state have shamed us all. He also termed the May 4 video of assault on women as a blot on the society.
The minister, however, questioned the timing of video, a day before the parliament session. “We arrested all the nine people same day. Had we got the video before, the action would have been taken immediately.”
Shah, giving the sequence of events which led to violence in the state, said the issue had several triggers. “When a coup led to change of government in Myanmar in 2021, a Kuki Democratic Front started agitating against it. So, when the military government created pressure, these Kuki tribals crossed over to India through the porous border in Manipur and Mizoram. As people started settling here, it led to anxiety among other people. We immediately started the fencing. There were tensions between Kukis who were staying in hills and Meitei community in the valley. We started recording the details of the refugees.”
However, the latest trigger came on April 29 when 58 forest areas were declared as villages, Shah said. “We tried to clear the misinformation by making announcements in vehicles, but the rumour travelled fast. Then the ‘oil in fire’ happened when the High Court, in an old case, gave an order without any new intervention, saying Meiteis be declared as tribals. This led to unrest among the Kukis who thought Meiteis will now gain disproportionately in government jobs.”
Shah added that unrest was also created when narcotic trade from Mayanmar picked up. But the trigger had come from the High Court after which a march was carried out and there were clashes between two communities. The BJP has been in power in Manipur for last six years, during which there was never a day of curfew or violent incidents, he added.
Shah said there were several clashes between the two communities during the previous governments, but the PM had never spoken about it. “The current situation in Manipur was triggered by certain events. PM Modi has been keeping a tab on it and even called me at 4 am and 6 am. After the violence, we changed the state DGP and the chief secretary. The state government accepted our suggestions. A CM is changed when he doesn’t cooperate. But this CM (Biren Singh) has been cooperating,” Shah said, referring to the demands for his sacking.
A total of 1,106 FIRs have been registered and over 14,000 people have been arrested so far, the home minister said.
Shah said that he had stayed in the state for three days and nights, MoS Nityanand Rai stayed for 23 days, and set up a commission headed by a retired judge. He said the government is able to control the violence and asked the House to adopt a resolution to appeal to both the communities to maintain peace. Lok Sabha mentioned the resolution, though Opposition benches said such a motion be passed after the PM’s reply.
The home minister also used the occasion to launch a scathing attack on the opposition on a day when Rahul Gandhi also spoke in the house.
Gandhi in his first speech after being reinstated in Lok Sabha said, “ India is a voice, a voice of the heart. You have killed that voice in Manipur. You have murdered Bharat Mata in Manipur. You are traitors. My mother is sitting here. The other mother, Bharat Mata, you killed her in Manipur. That is why the prime minister does not visit Manipur. You are not protectors of Bharat Mata, you are her killers."
Shah attacked Gandhi saying it was the Modi government which fulfilled all the promises. Taking a jibe at Gandhi, Shah said the Congress leader in the past had gone to the house of Kalawati to have food and raised her name in the Lok Sabha. They never looked after her since then. But it was the Modi government which gave her ration, house, health, electricity.
Shah said misinformation has been spread in the country that the government was running away from discussion on Manipur. “But I want to tell everyone that even before the parliament session began, I had written a letter to the Speaker that discussion should be held on Manipur.”
Shah also targeted the INDIA alliance saying that the country has confidence in Prime Minister Modi even though the opposition doesn't have. Shah said Modi has gone to North East over 50 times in the last nine years and no other PM has gone there that many time. The PM has worked to reduce distance in the hearts apart from building roads, rail links and airports to reduce the physical distance, Shah said.
“This no-confidence has been brought to create misunderstanding. The Opposition may have no-confidence, but the people have confidence in this government….Gandhiji gave a slogan of quit India on August 9, Modi has given a slogan that corruption-quit India, dynasty-quit India and appeasement-quit India,” he said.
Shah took the opportunity to talk about the government’s achievements of nine years giving number of beneficiaries of Jan dhan, Ujjwala, tap water and vaccination during the Covid. “You only made slogans, but it was our government which delivered,” Shah said, taking a dig at the Congress.
“Under Modi, India is setting a narrative on climate change and terrorism. There is only one leader who has got top most honour from 14 nations. This is an honour for 130 crore people,” Shah added.
Shah touched upon various issues from Kashmir to left wing terrorism, saying the Modi government had curbed the violent incidents.
“Alia, maliya, jamliya used to enter from across the border and behead our jawans. But now we crossed the Pakistan border and taught them a lesson through surgical strikes.”
