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Journalism of Courage
“I share the pain of the people of Manipur,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday, concluding his two-day visit to the conflict-hit state.
“It is a horrible tragedy. It is extremely sad and painful for all the people of Manipur and the people of India as well,” he said, after meeting Governor Anusuiya Uikey at the Raj Bhawan on Friday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, he had visited two relief camps in Moirang in the Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district. He had been accompanied by former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, party general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, MPCC president K Meghachandra Singh and former MP Ajoy Kumar.
On Friday, he had also met representatives of different civil society organizations such as the COCOMI, United Naga Council and the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee.
On Thursday, he had visited the Kuki-Zomi dominated Churachandpur district where he had visited two relief camps and met with civil society organizations there.
“Manipur needs peace, nothing will come out of violence. The camps I went to, I spoke to members of every community. There are some shortcomings in relief camps – of medicines, food. So the government should take action regarding this. But my appeal to every person in Manipur is that Manipur needs peace. I am ready to do whatever I can do to help for peace,” he said, speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
When asked to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on Manipur, he replied, “I am not here to play politics. I came for a peace initiative mission”.
He was supposed to visit the relief camps in Moirang on Thursday itself but his itinerary for the day was cut short after his convoy was stopped on the highway by Bishnupur police on the way to Churachandpur citing security concerns. He later reached Churachandpur by chopper in the evening.
