‘Manipur Needs To Be Heard’: INDIA MPs Reach Violence-Hit State for 2-Day Visit

A delegation of 21 Opposition MPs of the 'INDIA' alliance reached Imphal, Manipur, on Saturday, 29 July.

Details: In a two-day visit, the MPs will visit the relief camps and the violence-hit areas of the state.

Among other leaders, the delegation includes:

• Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Gaurav Gogoi

• Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi

• Rashtriya Janata Dal's Manoj Kumar Jha

• Trinamool Congress's Sushmita Dev

• Communist Party of India’s Sandosh Kumar

• CPI(Marxist)’s A A Rahim

• Samajwadi Party’s Javed Ali Khan

After visiting a relief camp in Bishnupur on Saturday, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told news agency ANI, "I want to appeal to Manipur CM N Biren Singh and meet the people living in these relief camps. The situation on the ground is that common people are facing a lot of difficulties. We will all have to work for them."

"There is no strategy as of now. We are divided into two groups and our only attempt is to listen to the people of Manipur. They are not being heard. We will visit several relief camps and talk to the people of the state. We will meet the Governor and have discussions"

RJD MP Manoj Jha

Earlier while leaving for Manipur, Jha also said, "Manipur needs to be heard. We are trying to listen to the people of Manipur and understand their situation...We will try to listen to people from all communities. This is our only objective."

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who also moved a no-confidence motion against the Centre over the violence in Manipur, told news agency ANI,

"The Central government is saying that peace has been restored in Manipur, so why are people staying in relief camps? Why are they unable to go back to their homes? We would like to accompany PM Modi if he decides to visit Manipur with an all-party delegation"

From Imphal, the MPs will head to Churachandpur to meet the victims of violence.

"From Imphal, they will go by a chopper to Churachandpur due to security issues. As only one helicopter is available, the members of the delegation would be divided into two teams, and the chopper will make two trips to ferry them," a security official told news agency PTI.

Meanwhile, on Friday, 28 July, former Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane in an event said that "instability in border state is bad for national security."

"I am sure that those who are in the chair and responsible for taking actions due to be taken are doing their best. We should avoid to second guess them. The person on the ground knows best what is to be done. Definitely, instability does not help us in the overall national security construct and the involvement of foreign agencies not only say cannot be ruled out but I will say it is definitely there, specially Chinese aid to various insurgent groups, they've been helping them for so many years. They will continue, I believe," he said about Manipur, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Background: The visit comes during the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament, where the Opposition has been continuously demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement, followed by a discussion on the situation in Manipur.

Manipur has been witnessing violence between the Meitei and the Kuki communities since 3 May.