GUWAHATI: Civil society organisations, across India, have blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the unabated violence in the Northeast state of Manipur.
Notable civil society groups from different parts of India have stated that “Manipur is burning” because of “divisive politics” of the BJP.
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Over 550 civil society organisations and individuals from across India have demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his “deafening silence” over the violence in Manipur.
“Manipur is burning today in very large part due to the divisive politics played by the BJP and its governments at the centre and state,” a joint statement from the civil society groups stated.
It added: “And on them lies the onus to stop this ongoing civil war before more lives are lost.”
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The civil society organisations stated that the violence in Manipur “is affecting men, women and children, over 50,000 people in more than 300 refugee camps and lakhs displaced”.
The groups added that the BJP “is once again exacerbating the age-old ethnic tensions between communities for its own political gain”.
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They alleged that turning communities against each other for political gains is “characteristic of its (BJP’s) modus operandi across the country”.
“Clearly, the role of BJP lies in using force and coercion to entrench its foothold in the state. Pretending to be an ally to both the communities, it is only widening the chasm of historical tensions between them without any effort till date to facilitate a dialogue towards resolution,” the statement added.
The statement was issued by civil society groups like People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, Saheli Women’s Resource Centre, Hazrat e Zindagi Mamuli, BAGAICHA, Unity in Compassion, National Alliance of People’s Movements and National Federation of Indian Women and a number of retired civil servants, rights activists and academic.
“Both the central and the state government are weaponising the constitutional provisions to destroy concepts of democratic dialogue, federalism and safeguarding of human rights,” the civil society groups further said.
The groups also accused “armed Meitei majoritarian groups like Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun” of “perpetrating the worst of the violence against the Kukis”.
The civil society organisations also accused Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh of being “closely associated with these groups (Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun)”.
The statement issued by the civil society organisations said: “Both groups vilify the Kuki community as ‘illegal outsiders’ and ‘narco terrorists’.”