Opposition leaders meet President, seek her intervention to restore peace and harmony in Manipur

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 02, 2023: Senior Opposition leaders Wednesday met President Droupadi Murmu and sought her intervention to re-establish peace and harmony in Manipur and determine accountability for the devastation. They argued that the situation in the state has reached a critical point in the last few weeks, witnessing a complete breakdown of law and order.

 

In a memorandum to the President, the Opposition alliance INDIA urged her to “press upon the Prime Minister to urgently address the Parliament on the prevailing situation in Manipur followed by a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the matter”. They said an extraordinary situation is confronting Manipur. “The shocking viral video that surfaced online has left the nation in shell shock, and it is evident that the state administration and police have failed to address the matter promptly. The delayed response of over two months to take cognisance and apprehend the accused has compounded the severity of the issue. Subsequently, it has come to light that the said incident is only one of the several cases of atrocities against women,” they said.

The Opposition said a delegation of MPs, which visited Manipur over the weekend, saw “the extreme devastation and hardships faced by the people, including women and children, and apprised the country of the grim and concerning situation in the state.”

“The impact of the violence has been devastating, with more than 200 lives lost, over 500 injuries, and more than 5,000 houses gutted in arson-related incidents. A staggering number of over 60,000 people are displaced, living in dìre conditions in relief camps across the state. The delegation visited relief camps in three different conflict-affected areas, including Churachandpur, Moirang, and Imphal, where they interacted with the affected people, listened to their concerns, and witnessed firsthand the dire living conditions, especially for women and children,” the memorandum said.

“People in relief camps are facing hardships with low availability of food and relief materials. They are living in a state of permanent fear and insecurity, and are in need of a secure and just rehabilitation to rebuild their lives. The three-month-long internet ban in the state has further escalated distrust between different communities and allowed the spread of misinformation. The prolonged closure of schools and colleges for nearly three months has adversely affected the education and learning of children and youth in Manipur,” it added.

The Opposition told the President that their demands for a statement from the Prime Minister, followed by a detailed and comprehensive discussion on the issue, have been rejected in both Houses of Parliament.

“The silencing of the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, who represents the voice of the people and is a source of reason and rationality in the house and the intermittent switching off of his mic in the Parliament is a new low in our Parliamentary democracy and is highly concerning,” they said.

The Opposition urged the President to intervene to establish peace and harmony in the state without further delay. “Accountability for the devastation of the past 92 days must be determined. Both the Union government and the state government must fulfil their duty to provide justice to the affected communities,” the memorandum said.

Courtesy: Indian Express