Members of the Opposition alliance on Wednesday met President Draupadi Murmu to seek her intervention in the ethnic violence in Manipur.
The members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, told the president that the situation in Manipur has reached a critical point and that there is a complete breakdown of law and order in the state.
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between the Kuki and the majority Meitei communities since May 3. At least 181 people, including 113 Kukis and 62 Meiteis, have been killed and nearly 60,000 have been forced to flee their homes.
Opposition parties have held the Bharatiya Janata Party governments in Manipur and at the Centre responsible for failing to contain the violence. Their criticism was bolstered after a video showing two Kuki women being paraded naked was widely shared on social media on July 19.
The parties have also been demanding a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the violence in Manipur in Parliament, followed by a longer discussion. However, the Modi-led government has agreed to a short-duration discussion. A delegation of the INDIA alliance had visited the violence-hit state from July 29 to July 30.
On Wednesday, the Opposition members told the president that their delegation to Manipur saw “extreme devastation” and hardships faced by the people, including women and children.
“People in relief camps are facing hardships with low availability of food and relief materials,” the delegation told the president in a memorandum. “They are living in a state of permanent fear and insecurity, and are in need of a secure and just rehabilitation to rebuild their lives. The three-month-long internet ban in the state has further escalated distrust between different communities and allowed the spread of misinformation.”
It added that the prolonged closure of schools and colleges since May has adversely affected the education and learning of children and young people in the state.
The members of the INDIA alliance then urged President Murmu to persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently address the Parliament on the situation in Manipur, followed by a detailed and comprehensive discussion.
“Your esteemed support and intervention are crucial in alleviating the suffering of the people of Manipur and restoring normalcy to the state,” they said.
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