Opinion Manoj Jha writes to Rajya Sabha Chairperson: Parliament cannot take ‘business as usual’ approach in face of crimes against humanity in Manipur

The pervasive sense of agony amongst the members of the House needs to be recognised. Any action taken to enforce discipline following a narrow, bureaucratic interpretation of the available rules will appear motivated and harsh.

Between two successive sessions of Parliament, several issues and incidents deeply affect the public. This time, it was mass violence accompanied by the dehumanisation of our own people in the state of Manipur, which overwhelmed all of us when we came to the House on July 20. We thought the unprecedented violence in a border state would appeal to the better sense of the Treasury Benches and they would agree to a compassionate statement from the Prime Minister, followed by a nuanced discussion. We never thought that even in the case of such violence, our appeal will come up against the unexplainable inflexibility of the ruling party and government.

The people who have sent us to Delhi expect us to give a voice to their concerns in the most important forum in the country. Parliament is the veritable centre of our democratic structure. (Please note that I have deliberately avoided your favourite word – theatre – in this context). The Members, particularly from the Opposition benches, are under tremendous pressure to seek a platform in the House. They owe it not only to their respective constituencies but to all citizens.

Recently, you made important remarks about the non-functioning of Parliament in the convocation address for students at Jamia Millia Islamia. You seemed genuinely anguished about the deadlock, leading to frequent disruptions. However, it seems what we are often responding to are symptoms of deep-rooted problems. The concern over the impasse in Parliament should concern us all. But what should disturb us more is the cause of this impasse. The people’s representatives are agitated because the images that are coming out of Manipur are screaming for a response. If we cannot adequately respond to them with a sense of shame, with a sense of sympathy, with a sense of urgency, it would mean that Parliament has stopped being a sensitive and responsive institution. It would mean that we have severed ourselves from the people of this country. It would mean that democracy has been reduced to electioneering, forming governments by hook or crook, and ruling over the people rather than on their behalf.

The violence in Manipur since the beginning of May 2023 has caused significant disruption and threatened peace in the region. The state has been subject to military curfews, suspension of internet services and deployment of troops and paramilitary forces with shoot-at-site orders in effect for “extreme cases”. Amidst all this, there have been worrying cases of human rights abuse, loss of life and property, instances of citizens fleeing to take shelter in relief camps. The conflict between insurgent factions has brought normal life to a standstill. The images of vulnerable and helpless women being humiliated and violated by the mob will never leave public memory. What is more shocking is that the CM of Manipur admitted there were “hundreds” of such incidents.

Can we not recognise that these are not ordinary crimes, which can be dealt with by the standard statement of “the law shall take its course”? That they are crimes against humanity that have to be addressed promptly and decisively? I am reminded of Janina Bauman, a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, who said, “The cruellest thing about cruelty is that it dehumanises its victims before it destroys them. And thus, the hardest of the struggles is to remain human in inhuman conditions.”

Sir, we need to recognise that we are also struggling to remain human while crimes and tragedies unfold before us. These difficult times cannot be addressed with the “business as usual” approach. As the highest legislative body, Parliament has the responsibility to ensure that the rights of all citizens are protected and that no community is subjected to discrimination or violence. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that identities are not weaponised to serve the interests of a few.

For that to happen, we need to reprioritise issues in Parliament. Manipur is looking at you, demanding a discussion on “crimes against humanity”. As a neutral referee, you can make sure that this demand precedes everything, including the official version of discipline and decorum. Every parliamentarian is answerable to one’s constituents as well as one’s conscience. There comes a time when it is very difficult to look at the fragility of parliamentary democracy and remain quiet.

It is against this backdrop that I make an earnest request to you to appeal to the Treasury Benches. This is the time to express solidarity with the people of Manipur and that cannot happen if the Treasury Benches continue to engage in subterfuge, whataboutery, and name-calling.

I do not dispute that there is a deep ideological divide between different political parties within Parliament. It has led to intense disagreements and disputes over various issues, including legislation and policies, in the past. While disputes in parliaments are not uncommon, vibrant democracies and robust political systems generally devise mechanisms to address conflicts and find solutions through dialogue and negotiation. There is no substitute for this. That is why I reiterate that if we cannot come together and give the Manipur crisis the recognition it deserves or fail to collectively condemn it, we will reduce ourselves to haughty ideologues. We must aspire to be parliamentarians in the way our Constituent Assembly envisaged.

Jai Hind.

The writer is Member of Parliament, Rashtriya Janata Dal