Imphal: The opposition Congress in Manipur has sought clarifications from the ruling BJP governments at the Centre and state over the withdrawal of the Preamble of the Agreed Ground Rules for the Implementation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) with the Kuki militants.
Speaking to reporters at Congress Bhavan in Imphal on Tuesday, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Vice President Hareswore Goswami said that the Congress had taken the statement of BJP MLA Paolinlal Haokip seriously on the threat to the territorial integrity of Manipur.
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The Congress leader was speaking in the backdrop of a statement recently made by Kuki leader and BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip, who stated that the way forward to finding a solution to Manipur’s racial conflict is by creating three Union Territories of Manipur state.
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Remarkably, a formal dialogue between the United People’s Front (UPF) led by Aron Kipgen, and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) led by Seilen Haokip was held recently in Delhi with the BJP government under the chairmanship of AK Mishra, Special Advisor to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). During the talks, UPF and KNO put forward the demand for creating a Union Territory.
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The Congress leader also sought clarification from state BJP president Sarda Devi over the alleged withdrawal of a clause safeguarding Manipur’s integrity by the BJP government.
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According to media reports, there is speculation that the clause safeguarding Manipur’s integrity has been withdrawn from the SoO agreement by the BJP government under pressure from the groups under SoO, who would not be able to represent their people if it was not withdrawn.
The MPCC Vice President said, “It is pertinent to mention here that in the Preamble of the Agreed Ground Rules for the Implementation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) with KNO and UPF, it was agreed to uphold the Constitution of India, the laws of the land, and the territorial integrity of Manipur.”
The state BJP government must have been aware of this, as the SoO is a tripartite agreement (between the militants represented by KNO and UPF, the Government of Manipur, and the Government of India). However, no official clarification has been made so far.
Goswami also asked if the present crisis is part of the BJP’s game plan. He reminded reporters that a few days ago, Chief Minister Biren Singh stated that law and order in the valley would be looked after by him, while the hills would be handled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Later, Singh clarified that the UHM would tackle the militants under SoO. The question is, is this how the UHM is dealing with the hills?
Is this the reason why BJP CM Biren is projecting himself as the godfather in the valley and the BJP government as the champion of the hills in the Centre? The Congress leader asked. This is because state forces under Biren are fighting against militants under SoO, plus security forces under the Union Home Minister.
Goswami also stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after a silence of more than two months, spoke about a selected viral video belonging to one particular community, while ignoring other heinous crimes committed against other communities.
“As the assembly elections in Mizoram are nearing, as well as the Lok Sabha elections in all states, and the BJP’s future is bleak in the face of the opposition “Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance” (I.N.D.I.A.), such a crisis seems to have been artificially created for winning elections in the hill areas of Manipur and Mizoram”, Goswami added.