Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday raised concerns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the unresolved ethnic violence in Manipur despite the failure to bring peace, displacement of people in the state and lack of accountability.
The bloodshed in the strategically important north-eastern state continues to be a grave indictment of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Kharge wrote in a post on X. He spoke about law and order, protection of the constitutional rights and national security.
The comment follows a spate of killings in the state that led to some shutdowns in various places there, reigniting tensions in the state.
Shutdowns Disrupt Normal Life in Manipur
Kungpha, Kangpokpi district, on Wednesday joined in the bandh in protest against the killing of a 45-year-old Kuki man on Tuesday, which shut down the normal activities in the district.
The closing was timed to coincide with a second and final shutdown in the Imphal Valley, which was delayed until the second day of February.The shutdown followed a similar down closure in the Imphal Valley that was only rescheduled for its second and final day of February. The protest was staged against the killing of three Meiteis in an ambush in Imphal East on Monday.
The two shutdowns highlighted the persistent conflicts between communities in the violence-ridden state which have repeatedly derailed efforts to return to normalcy.
Fresh Violence Raises Concerns
According to the developments three days ago, the Imphal East incident was the first case of violence between Meiteis and Kukis since July 13th.
According to victims, at least 50 people have been killed in Manipur in the past few months, with the majority of the killings occurring at the hands of Naga and Kuki communities.
The fresh events have brought to the fore the issue of security and the ongoing effects of ethnic conflicts and tensions on the people of the state.
Kharge Raises Questions Over Accountability
Kharge’s lashing out was directed at questioning the Centre’s approach and action to the prolonged crisis, especially the failure to provide any lasting peace, while the latter continued to cause displacement of people.
The Congress chief also drew parallels with other issues on constitution protection and national security, considering the state’s strategic position in the international border of India.
The recent developments have again put Manipur in the political spotlight with issues related to security, accountability and peace/issues being central to the discussion.