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New Delhi: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh is “incapable of handling the complex situation” between the Meiteis and Kukis in the state, and the prime minister and home minister are not intervening because of their “hidden agenda”, Congress leader and former state CM O Ibobi Singh, 75, told ThePrint in an interaction Thursday.
“If Manipur is considered a part of India and if there is a problem there, both the central and state governments are responsible. Why did they not stop the ethnic violence immediately? Is there a secret agenda?” he asked.
A veteran politician, Singh was at the helm at Manipur for 15 years, from 2002 to 2017.
He has recently been camping in the Capital demanding a meeting with PM Narendra Modi, who is currently on a state visit to the US, on the Kuki-Meitei clashes in the state – a subject on which the PM has maintained a studied silence.
Questioning Modi’s silence, Singh told ThePrint: “Everybody is asking why he (Modi) is silent. He did not say anything in 50 days and did not spare 10 or 15 minutes to give a hearing to MLAs or political party members requesting to meet him over the issue. I myself have been waiting for a week.”
Manipur on 3 May erupted in clashes between the Meitei, who are the majority in the Imphal valley and mostly Hindu, and the Kuki tribals, who are primarily Christians and inhabit the state’s hill districts, following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ taken out to oppose the demand for inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
Since then, at least 100 people have been killed, more than 300 injured, and over 50,000 displaced from their homes. The violence has also led to the Kukis demanding a separate administration for the hill areas of Manipur.
Under pressure from various quarters to arrest the violence, home minister Amit Shah has Saturday called an all-party meeting in New Delhi to discuss the Manipur situation.
In his interaction with ThePrint, Singh spoke about the various reasons behind the ethnic clashes, dwelt on the inaction of the authorities, the home ministry’s failure to assess the gravity of the situation, and expressed hope that peace could prevail in the state if the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur acted decisively.
When asked how peace could be brought, the former CM told ThePrint: “Our request is to stop the fighting, firing and arson first. Peace can only be restored if that happens, and if the atmosphere becomes conducive for dialogue.”
To a query on what demand he would put forth at Saturday’s all-party meeting, Singh said: “We have already submitted a memorandum stating our demands to the prime minister, and we will reiterate our demand of peace in the state.”
Also Read: More than 6 weeks on, Manipur is still ablaze. It’s a saga of failures, from state govt to Centre
‘Centre & state have to be in control’
Singh spoke about the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement that was signed by the Centre and the Manipur government with Kuki rebel groups in 2008 to initiate political dialogue with the insurgents and to end hostilities and settle demands made by the state’s ethnic Kuki tribals for a separate homeland.
As part of the agreement, insurgents who came overground were put up in designated camps, called SoO camps.
On 10 March this year, it was reported that Manipur had decided to withdraw from the pact, alleging that the tribal militant groups were “influencing agitation among forest encroachers”.
Singh told ThePrint that he was “surprised how the chief minister had announced the end of the agreement with Kuki insurgents without consulting the home minister”, and it showed “difference of priority” between the Centre and state.
Allegations have been flying in the wake of the Manipur violence that it is being fuelled by armed groups from both sides (Kuki and Meitei), as well as illegal immigrants and narco mafia from neighbouring Myanmar.
Singh further pointed out that the violence started after a Manipur High Court order of April suggested granting ST status to the Meiteis.
“There are many factors behind the present situation. The violence started after the high court order. Why didn’t the state government take pre-emptive action, knowing the sensitivity of the situation?” he asked.
“As far as the SoO agreement is concerned, be it any militants, if they agree to come for dialogue there must be ground rules. If any group violates the ground rules, there is a monitoring group and committee. It is the responsibility of the state and central government to monitor violation of agreement. They have to be in control,” said Singh.
Lashing out at Biren Singh, a former Congress leader himself who quit the party in 2016 to join the BJP, Ibobi Singh said “the (CM) is incapable of handling this type of situation”.
“He may not be happy hearing my words… but this was a tripartite agreement and the state government can’t unilaterally decide to withdraw from it. Biren Singh took the decision in a cabinet meeting and announced it to the press. If I was CM, I would never announce anything to the press before consulting the Centre. I would not even inform my wife about it till the Centre had decided,” he added.
The former CM further said that he believed the Kuki-Meitei clashes were not a result of mistrust – rather militants had disturbed peace in Manipur.
“If any Myanmar militants are entering the state, it is the responsibility of the central forces to stop it. Why has the (BJP) government not fenced the border in the last nine years at the Centre and six in Manipur? Until fencing is done, illegal arms as well as militants will continue to enter. These Kuki militants also don’t want fencing,” he told ThePrint.
He further asked what the Assam Rifles, entrusted by the home ministry to guard the border, were doing.
“I have been told that there are a number of central forces in Manipur. If there is illegal infiltration, it is the responsibility of the Assam Rifles to guard the boundary,” he added.
Also Read: ‘People of Manipur have lost confidence in Biren Singh govt’ — what Naga MP & MLAs told Amit Shah
‘They can stop violence within days if they want’
On a question about whether the Manipur CM’s removal, as demanded by the Congress, would bring peace, Singh said such decisions have to be taken by the Centre.
“From my side, I am not demanding removal of the CM. It is up to the Centre and their high command to decide what kind of action they want to take immediately to control the crisis,” he said.
“India is the fourth-largest country in terms of the military. I have repeatedly said that if the PM and home minister are determined to stop the violence, they can do so within days. All those armed, be it insurgent groups or common Meiteis or Kukis, should be disarmed promptly and illegal arms should be kept away. Only then talks can happen,” he added.
He had the same response to a query on whether the Congress demand for President’s Rule in Manipur would bring peace.
“Be it invocation of President’s Rule or removal of Biren Singh, it is for the Centre to decide. If they are not willing to do so, they will not do it despite demands. Our demand is peace, and that appropriate action be taken timely and firmly,” he said.
Vajpayee vs Modi era
Singh was asked what was the difference while dealing with the North-East during former prime minister and BJP leader A.B. Vajpayee’s time and the Modi era.
He said: “I can’t compare the two leaders, but everybody knows Vajpayee was a fine and noble gentleman. It was my first tenure as Manipur chief minister (2002-2007) during Vajpayee’s time as PM (1999 to 2004). I was heading a coalition government in the state but he did not interfere in state affairs, like a fine gentleman.”
The former Manipur CM recalled one incident during that time, when the state was facing a financial crisis.
“We did not have money to pay salaries and I wanted to meet Vajpayee but could not. Before leaving, I went to meet (former Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi to raise the issue. She called (former PM) Manmohan Singh who called the finance minister. We met the finance minister at 3.30 pm the same day and asked for Rs 800 crore. At 5 pm, we got a call from the finance minister that Rs 400 crore had been sanctioned. That was the way of functioning during Vajpayee’s time,” he said.
“Here, we have been waiting to meet PM Modi for 15 days, their own MLAs are waiting, but he has no time to meet anyone. That is the situation today,” he added.
Singh was asked how he rated Biren Singh – whose previous tenure in Manipur (2017 to 2022) was peaceful and who had worked with Ibobi Singh in the Congress – as a politician.
“Biren Singh has worked under my leadership earlier and those days we discussed everything. But after he left to join the BJP, it seems his style of work has become a little insane,” the former Manipur CM told ThePrint.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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