‘Can’t let our tribal brothers, sisters face this barbarism’: Jharkhand CM to President Murmu on Manipur video

Mentioning that Manipur is “predominantly a tribal state”, Soren said there has been “a complete silence and a desperate attempt by the Centre to sideline the issue” and “muzzle the voice of the media and the people”.

Soren wrote: “…Your (Murmu) steadfast commitment to upholding the principles of justice and compassion has always been a guiding light for all of us. In this darkest hour of crisis that Manipur and India face, we look up to you as the last source of hope and inspiration who could show the light in these troubled times to the people of Manipur and all the citizens of India.”

VIDEO | “I have written a letter to President Murmu over the Manipur situation,” says Jharkhand CM @HemantSorenJMM. pic.twitter.com/G2bMjnig5W

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 22, 2023

“I appeal to you today, to find a way forward, ensure justice is served and take steps to ensure the peace and harmony of Manipur. We cannot and must not let our fellow tribal brothers and sisters be treated in this appallingly barbaric way. Manipur must heal and we as a nation must help.”

Soren said he was distressed and concerned about the spiralling situation in Manipur. “Every day and night, we come across heart-wrenching visuals, with the latest video of women being paraded naked and raped in full public glare. There seems to be a complete breakdown of rule of law and it is deeply distressing that with tacit support of certain vested interests, this ethnic violence continues unabated… The unspeakable barbarism on women has deeply shaken us all. The intrinsic principles of human life and dignity guaranteed by our Constitution seem to be completely broken,” the CM wrote.

He added that a society “should never” reach a point where people are subjected to the kind of physical, emotional and psychological brutality that the country saw unfold in Manipur.

“Since May 3, India, in spite of being the world’s most diverse democracy, has witnessed unparalleled breakdown of peace, unity, justice and democratic governance in Manipur. It has been shocking to note that the state government (Manipur) has failed in protecting its own people and mitigating the violence and unrest,” the CM said.

Various tribal organisations on Friday protested against the violence in Manipur.

The BJP on Saturday targeted Soren, accusing him of indulging in politics while overlooking crimes against women in his own state. Senior BJP leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das raised the deaths of a girl from a particularly vulnerable tribal group in Sahibganj and a tribal girl in Dumka along with cases in West Bengal and Bihar, saying he should mentioned these cases as well in his letter to the President.

“Does Hemant ji support these incidents? Have some shame before doing politics on such a serious and serious issue,” he said.

Similarly listing cases in the state as well in Bengal, Jharkhand BJP women’s wing president Aarti Kujur said: “I want to ask all political parties, will they only speak about Manipur where there is BJP government?”

with PTI inputs