Opposition alliance visits strife- torn Manipur, alleges breakdown of law and order situation

Delegates of the newly formed opposition parties’ alliance called Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) on Saturday visited strife-torn Manipur and reached out to internally displaced persons(IDPs) in various relief centres.

In their visit to Churachandpur on Saturday, Congress MP from Assam, Gourav Gogoi said I.N.D.I.A wanted the people to be saved and it is the responsibility of the state government and the central government to protect them and give them a stable law and order situation. He said that the people should not be afraid when they step out of their relief camps if the law and order is maintained and be safe in any part of the State.

Gourav said, “We want the people to return safely and rebuild their lives. How long will they be in relief camps? Situation has to be created so that people can start rebuilding their lives.” Stating that I.N.D.I.A wants people to have faith in the state and central governments, including different political parties. Gogoi asserted that there can be a dialogue only when people feel safe and secured and as such it is necessary for the Prime Minister to take initiative and take control of the situation.

Responding to a media query on the steps needed for bringing peace in the State, Gourav said it is necessary to press the central government and the Prime Minister to pay more attention to Manipur. He alleged that the Prime Minister is distracted with upcoming elections in Rajashthan and Chattisgarh.

Another Member of Parliament from the visiting team, Javed AliKhan said that he is not very much satisfied with the relief centres. The government is not coming forward in the way in which they should come to help and organise the things in the relief centres, he alleged and demanded that the government should help the affected people. Javed also said that the first priority is to normalize the situation. For that, the government should come forward and act in a way so that the longstanding friendship between the different ethnic groups is not diluted and it should not go like this as it is presently happening, he added

“The government has miserably failed in Manipur otherwise things would not have been like this. Like minded people must come forward and should unite all people. There should not be such a difference which has been created and as such, the government should find out what are the forces behind this,” Javed said.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress President,  Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said peace and normalcy should be restored.“ I.N.D.I.A is with the people of Manipur as a whole and we do not want to see any differences between any communities, whosoever. Meitei, Kuki are all our brothers and sisters,” he said. Adhir Ranjan further said that the visiting team have no intention to create differences but  they have come in the state to appeal to the people of Manipur so that the culture of living together which they have been doing needs to be restored again. The government should employ all its forces in order to restore peace and harmony, he said.

The visiting team consists of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, INC; Gaurav Gogoi, INC; Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, JD(U);  Sushmita Dev, TMC; Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, DMK; Sandosh Kumar P, CPI A; A. Rahim, CPI(M);Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD; Javed Ali Khan, SP; Mahua Maji, JMM; P. P. Mohammed Faizal, NCP; Aneel Prasad Hegde, JD(U); E.T. Mohammed Basheer, IUML; N. K. Premachandran, RSP; Sushil Gupta, AAP;  Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena;  D. Ravikumar, VCK; Thiru Thol Thirumavalavan, VCK;  Jayant Singh, RLD and  Phulo Devi Netam, INC