Manipur crisis: US says ‘ready to assist if asked’; Cong leader points at ‘interference in internal affairs’

Garcetti pointed out that his offer to help did not arise out of “strategic concerns”, but rather on humanitarian grounds. “You don’t have to be an Indian to care when children or individuals die in this sort of violence. We know peace as a precedent for so many good things,” he said.

“There has been so much progress in the northeast and the east…We stand ready to assist in any ways if asked. We know it’s an Indian matter and we pray for that peace and that it may come quickly. Because we can bring more collaboration, more projects, more investment if that peace is in place,” he said.

Reacting sharply to Garcetti’s statement, Congress MP Manish Tewari said that India has never appreciated any statement on its internal matters. “There is gun violence in the US & several people are killed. We never told the US to learn from us as to how to rein that in. US faces riots over racism. We never told them that we will lecture them… Perhaps it is important for the new Ambassador to take cognisance of the history of India-US relations,” he said.

Terming the situation in Manipur “tragic”, Tewari said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have visited the state and spoken on what’s happening there. He added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah “should have visited the state continuously until normalcy returns there,” and that the Congress “will raise this issue in the Parliament”.

Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s announcement that all bunkers built by the Meitei and Kuki communities to defend their villages would be destroyed has left a large section of the security establishment sceptical about how this would be achieved given that there’s no let up in the violence from both sides and people are not even ready to surrender their weapons.

The state has seen clashes between the two communities since May 3, triggered by a rally organised to protest against the demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status for the Meiteis.

From the homepage

Nitish Kumar Cabinet Portfolio 2025: Samrat Choudhary given Bihar Home Ministry, CM keeps general administration

Prashant Kishor’s promise to ensure Jan Suraaj doesn’t run out of money: ‘Will donate my…’

Govt enforces four labour codes, rules expected in a week