The United States of America’s (USA) Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, on Thursday said the United States is ready to assist India in dealing with the violence in Manipur, not for strategic concern but for ‘human concern.’
At a press conference in Kolkata, Eric Garcetti said: “Let me speak about Manipur first. We pray for peace there. When you ask us about the concern of the United States, I don’t think it’s a strategic concern. I think it’s about human concern.”
“You don’t have to be Indian to care when we see children and individuals die in the sort of violence that we see [in Manipur] and we know that peace is the precedent for so many other good things. There have been so many other good things in the northeast and those can’t continue without peace,” he said in response to a question on whether the US was concerned about the violence in Manipur.
Offering US assistance, Garcetti said, “We stand ready to assist in any ways if asked. We know it’s an Indian matter and we pray for that peace and it may come quickly. Because we can bring more collaboration, more projects, more investment if that peace is in place.”
“One very clear message I want to send — the east of India and the northeast of India matters to the United States. Its people, its places, its potential and its future matter to us,” he said.
On his maiden visit to Kolkata, Us Ambassador met the West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and Principal Chief Advisor to Chief Minister, Amit Mitra and discussed the economic opportunities, regional connectivity plans, cultural ties and issues related to women’s empowerment. He said both countries should invest in the future for peace and progress.
Mr. Garcetti appreciated the multi-religious nature of Kolkata and said that the U.S. is interested in bringing more investment to the eastern and the northeastern parts of India.
There have been so many good things in the northeast and the east here and those cannot continue without peace, he said.
As per latest data of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), 112 tribals from the Kuki-Zo community lost their lives in the alleged state-sponsored ethnic cleansing against the Kukis in Manipur, which began in May 3, and 197 Kuki-Zo villages comprising more than 7000 houses burnt to ashes. About 359 Churches and Quarters burnt down and 41425 people internally displaced.
