- Saturday, January 04, 2025
Biren Singh said there has been relative peace in Manipur in the last three-four months, which gives him hope that normalcy will be soon restored
By: India Weekly
MANIPUR chief minister N Biren Singh has apologised for the ethnic conflict in the state which claimed over 250 lives and rendered thousands homeless and appealed to all communities to forget and forgive past mistakes and start afresh.
Addressing reporters in Imphal on Tuesday, Singh said that there has been relative peace in the state in the last three-four months, which gives him hope that normalcy will be restored in the new year.
“I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise. But after seeing relative peace in the last 3-4 months, I hope that normalcy will be restored in the coming year.
“Whatever happened has happened… I want to appeal to all communities to forgive and forget our past mistakes and start life afresh by living together in a peaceful and prosperous Manipur,” he said.
Congress reaction
The Congress asked why can’t prime minister Narendra Modi go to the northeastern state and do the same even though he travels across the country and the world.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the people of Manipur cannot understand their neglect by the prime minister, whom he accused of deliberately avoiding a visit to the northeastern state.
Singh attacks Congress
Responding to Ramesh’s post on microblogging site, Singh accused the Congress of indulging in politics in his apology to the people of the state over ethnic conflict and asserted that his statement was a “sincere act of expressing grief” for the citizens who have been displaced and have become homeless.
He also alleged that Manipur is “in turmoil because of the past sins committed by the Congress”.
Singh, in the post on X, said, “The apology I extended today was a sincere act of expressing my grief for the people who have been left displaced and become homeless. As a chief minister, it was an appeal to forgive and forget what had happened. However, you brought politics into it.”
The chief minister also said firing incidents have declined in the state over the last 20 months since the ethnic conflict began in May 2023.
“From May to October, 2023, 408 firing incidents were reported. From November 2023 to April 2024, there were 345 firing incidents, whereas from May this year till now, 112 firing incidents were reported,” he said.
Of all the looted weapons, 3,112 have been recovered and 2,511 explosives have been seized during the period, he said.
The chief minister also said that 625 people have been arrested and 12,247 FIRs registered so far.
Seventeen companies of security forces have been deployed along the Imphal-Mao-Dimapur National Highway and an additional 18 companies along the Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar National Highway, he said.
The chief minister also mentioned that the government has procured 40 bulletproof vehicles and heavy weapons to counter armed militants.
“With the formation of the BJP-led government in the state, the law and order situation has improved. The government acted as a bridge between the insurgent groups and the Centre for initiation of peace talks,” he claimed.
Admission of failure
Manipur Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Okram Ibobi Singh expressed disappointment over the alleged failure of the Centre and the state government to resolve the 19-month-long violence in the northeastern state.
The state assembly is the only appropriate platform to discuss and find solutions to Manipur’s crisis, he told reporters at Congress Bhavan in Imphal.
Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra on Wednesday said Biren Singh’s apology for the ethnic conflict was an acknowledgment of the state government’s failure.
Speaking on the sidelines of a programme, Keisham said, “By apologising to the people in a press conference, Singh has admitted to the failure of the double-engine government in the state.”
Keisham said, “What will be the future course of action? I want to ask him what he is going to do. The violence and firing continue even today. Singh has said he is sorry and apologised to the people. The people of Manipur should think about the responsibility and accountability of his statement.”
Biren should resign
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said a mere apology was not enough as Singh should have resigned from his chair if he failed to handle the situation.
The former Rajasthan chief minister also attacked prime minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah for “ignoring” Manipur.
“While the chief minister has apologised to the people, it is not worthy enough to be forgiven. What happened in Manipur did not happen in any other state in the country’s history. But the Centre didn’t do anything. Prime minister Modi didn’t even visit Manipur,” Gehlot told reporters in Jaipur.
“The prime minister asked people to beat plates (during the Covid pandemic), and they listened to him. Had he gone to Manipur and called for peace, people belonging to the two warring communities might have also listened to him. But they completely ignored the state.”
“The chief minister is apologising now after 18 months of bloodshed. I don’t know what he wants to convey. If he was unable to handle the situation, he should have resigned,” Gehlot said.
Blaming the Centre and the Manipur government for the unrest, the Congress leader said, “Couldn’t the Centre change the chief minister? While it wouldn’t have been a big deal, the violence would have stopped.”
While Shah went to Manipur 2-3 times, Modi seems adamant on not visiting the state, Gehlot said. (PTI)
