A Sharda Devi, the president of BJP Manipur unit posted on FB a picture of her calling on the Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying that she had extensive discussions on the current situation in Manipur, conveyed the people’s aspirations and urge immediate intervention to bring permanent solution and tranquillity to the state while appreciating the ongoing efforts.
Amit Shah is understood to have assured her that the Centre is aware of the delicate situation on the ground and committed to uplifting the people’s aspirations. Well, it takes guts to meet Amit Shah in person and to be able to present an independent perspective, while a host of MLAs have failed in the past. The Home Minister is such an intimidating and domineering person who instils the fear of God in those who dare to meet him. We are glad, at least she was given an audience amid his busy schedule although no one knows for how many minutes.
One wonders, which ‘aspirations’ they were talking about in the meet, as there are so many divergent aspirations which are being floated around. However, we are more perplexed as to what ‘ongoing efforts’ she is talking about and being appreciated. She could only mean ‘ongoing efforts’ of the BJP led-government at the Centre. But the question is, what has the central government done so far towards containing the turmoil and steps for bringing back peace and normalcy.
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Is she talking about the parachuting of a non-descript Security Advisor and DGP ‘without’ invoking Article 355 of the Indian Constitution, of central security forces doing nothing to protect the lives and properties of the civil population in the valley or remaining mute spectators when the armed militants indiscriminately attacks the fringe villages or becoming active defenders of peace and the imagined ‘buffer zone’ whenever the valley based village volunteers retaliate, of central security forces remaining coy and docile like a new bride among the Kuki women and militants, while baring their fangs when dealing with Meira Paibis and the valley population, and of firing rubber bullets and using stun gun while dealing with the valley protestors while receding to the barracks when challenged by Kukis. As far as we know, these are the so-called ongoing efforts of the central government.
The security forces do not feel themselves threatened or that peace is threatened when Kuki militants armed to the teeth going about attacking fringe villages in the valley. Yet, security forces posted nearby suddenly become active when armed village volunteers with help from state forces begin to retaliate and remember their duty is to keep the peace between warring groups. They do not feel threatened when Kuki militants stopped them from proceeding further brandishing their guns and local made Pompi cannons or when Kuki women pushed them around in Moreh and other Kuki dominated areas.
But they suddenly feel threatened when Meira Paibis accosted them for one reason or the other. They raise hell and allege obstruction in performing duty by Meira Paibis. When violence erupted in Jiribam, after evacuating Meitei civilians from their villages they rushed back to guard the Kuki villages with barbed wire fencing. While the Kukis clinged to the sense of security provided for by security forces stationed near their villages, a lack of trust for the very same forces haunts the valley populace.
Still, those sitting in New Delhi remain unmindful of the whys and wherefores of resistance by Meira Paibis and their lack of trust in the security forces. Did she raise any of these issues with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah? Did she ask why the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh was not invited to the Monday meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the Manipur situation? Even if the chief minister was not capable of asking the question, she as a party president could have, which she did not do. Maybe, she should not have posted the interlude with Amit Shah.
