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Journalism of Courage
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said at an election rally in Imphal that the upcoming Lok Sabha election would be fought between “those talking of dividing Manipur” and “those holding it together”.
On his second visit to Manipur since conflict erupted in the state last May, Shah reached Imphal International Airport at around 2.30 pm and headed straight to the rally venue at Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal East district. Before his arrival, women protesters had blocked roads in different parts of the city.
Addressing the crowd, Shah said that in the days to come, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s priority will be to restore peace in Manipur, while keeping its territorial integrity intact, by holding talks with all sections.
In his speech, he targeted the Congress and accused them of fanning divisions in the state. He also mentioned different ethnic conflicts that had taken place earlier in the state.
“During Congress rule, there was a 1,000-day blockade here and Manipur was closed for three years. The work of killing hundreds of people in encounters was done by (former chief minister and Congress leader) Ibobi Singh’s government. In the Naga-Kuki conflict, 750 people were killed. In the Meitei-Pangal conflict, 100 people were killed. And in the Kuki-Paite conflict, 325 people were killed. The Congress had made Manipur a nakabandi (roadblock) state,” Shah said.
“This election is not between BJP and Congress. It is between those who talk of breaking up Manipur and those holding Manipur together. Wherever the Congress goes, it talks of divisions… Even now, people in the Congress want to divide this country into North India and South India. Here also they have an agenda – the division of Manipur. But I say today, no one has the guts to break up Manipur,” he said.
He referred to Congress’ Inner Manipur candidate, JNU teacher Bimol Akoijam, as a “member of the tukde-tukde gang”, and sought votes for the BJP’s candidate from the seat, Th. Basanta Singh. The constituency, one of the two Lok Sabha seats in the state and the one that covers most of the Meitei-majority valley region, votes on April 19. The Outer Manipur seat, which covers Kuki-Zomi and Naga-dominated areas, goes to the polls on April 26. The BJP has not fielded a candidate for the constituency and is backing the Naga People’s Front candidate there.
Shah pointed to recent decisions taken by the Union governments as protecting the state’s interest, in line with fears expressed by the Meitei community regarding “illegal migration” into the state from Myanmar.
“I know there are efforts to change the demography of this small state with infiltration. The Narendra Modi government has decided that Myanmar’s entire border will be fenced to keep Manipur safe. We have started the work of building the fence. The Free Movement Regime was misused for smuggling narcotics and we have decided to stop it,” he said.
Shah’s last visit to the state was last year, on May 28, a few weeks after sectarian violence in the state began on May 3.
Ahead of Shah’s arrival on Monday, women protesters put up blockades in parts of Imphal, stopping vehicles carrying people who were heading to the rally and removing BJP flags from vehicles. In the New Checkon area, protesters piled up burning tyres to discourage commuters from heading towards the meeting venue. However, private vehicles were allowed free passage.
A protester at Khurai Lamlong said they were not against Shah’s visit or the elections, but that they were protesting the “undermining” of the strife-torn state’s plight in the name of elections. “The people of Manipur would have extended a grand welcome to the Union Home Minister if his visit was to resolve the persisting crisis,” the protester said.
Despite the blockades, thousands attended the rally.
