Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in the prevailing ethnic violence in Manipur.
In his letter, RK Ranjan apprised Modi about the loss of lives and properties damaged during the clash. He also expressed his dismay and frustration in connection with the Kuki leaders, including their MLAs, who are demanding a separate political administration for their people. Perhaps they are under tremendous pressure from various quarters, including the militants, he stated.
The minister said this is a dangerous proposition for a tiny state having 35 ethnic groups. Peaceful co-existence should be the norm; Naga-Kuki conflict or Meitei-Pangan (Muslim) clash and now Meitei-Kuki riots must be treated as aberrations.
“These should be curbed and controlled by a strong hand. No balkanization on ethnic lines should be encouraged at any cost... Common people have suffered. It is not about how many Kukis or Meiteis have died or how many Meitei houses or Kuki houses were torched. It is an unfortunate humanitarian crisis caused by immature minds. This must be dealt with a humane touch without any ethnic bias,” added the MoS.
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He also stated that a few activists have been trying to bring in the religious angle that Meities are mostly Hindus and Kukis are Christians.
“They try to blame the people who are radicalized in the name of religion and culture. Burning of churches and temples are being cited to bring in the communal angle. This is untenable. Violent mobs burn and destroy everything on their way,” he mentioned.
He also said that demanding ST status by the Meitei community in a peaceful manner should not be a problem for others. Again a peaceful protest by the tribal against this move should not be an issue, he added.
These things happen in other parts of the country - for instance in Assam. Protests and counter-protests are healthy signs of a vibrant democracy - but violence is certainly not, he stated.
“We are not to blame any community or ethnic group. We want to live in peace with all the ethnic groups or communities. The harmonious relation among the ethnic groups is often violated by the leaders for getting their political ends. Myopic politicians often play with the lives and emotions of the common people. They may not understand the long term implications of their selfish pursuits. For their short term political games they might have used the militants or drug-money or even indulge in hate mongering. They have done enough damage to society. Their tactics trigger unimaginable losses, for instance the present ethnic inferno. Such local leaders must be identified and condemned,” he wrote.
He recalled that the British colonial policy of divide and rule - did apply in Manipur. When Manipur came under full British control after the Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891 - the valley administration was with the Maharaja and hill administration was with the president of the Manipur Darbar who was invariably a British. A psychological gap was being created. After independence, Article 371 C still made the barrier between the hills and valley.
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He also said that it is high time to do away with this mechanical division: the entire state should belong to the people as a whole - without any distinction of hill inhabitants or valley people - in the pattern of Himachal Pradesh. If required Article 371C may be amended, he added.
He said that the state government has announced some relief and compensation for victims and sufferers. Although the state government wants to do more, it has financial constraints.
He urged the Union government to add something more to the Ex-gratia amount for the deceased (which is just Rs 5 lakh). Buildings, houses, vehicles burned may be compensated with Centre's aid. That will immensely help in the healing process, he added.
He then appealed to the Prime Minister to let the army and paramilitary forces be stationed in the state for some time because restoration of peace and complete normalcy will take time and the healing process will take much longer.
Singapore Visit
Meanwhile, Ranjan visited Singapore from 18-19 May, 2023. It is his maiden visit to Singapore in his capacity as the Minister of State for External Affairs and Education.
The MoS highlighted in particular the potential for cooperation in the areas of skill development and investment in the North East region of India. The Minister also visited the Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD) and Temasek Polytechnic and interacted with the faculty to understand their training and research methodology and identify opportunities for cooperation in higher education and skill development.
According to the release, during his visit, the Minister paid his respects at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose marker. He also visited the Indian Heritage Centre and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hall and also appreciated the efforts of the Singapore India Fine Arts Association in promoting and preserving Indian culture.
The MoS interacted with representatives of a diverse cross-section of the Indian community in Singapore and thanked them for their enthusiastic contribution to the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence and for their solidarity and contributions for community welfare during the pandemic, the Ministry said.
