Manipur violence: Rahul Gandhi visits relief camp in Imphal to meet affected people

Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi landed in Manipur state on Thursday to kick off his two-day visit to violence-hit India’s northeastern state. He visited a relief camp in the capital city of Imphal in order to meet the people affected due to the violence in the state. 

Earlier, he was not allowed by the police to enter Churachandpur—one of the worst-hit districts —over security fears and was asked to return to Imphal. The convoy was stopped in Bishnupur, which is about 20 km from Imphal. 

The Congress leader tweeted, "I came to listen to all my brothers and sisters of Manipur. People of all communities are being very welcoming and loving. It’s very unfortunate that the government is stopping me. Manipur needs healing. Peace has to be our only priority." 

Manipur Congress chief Keisham Meghachandra has said that Gandhi is returning to the capital city and will stay the night there. There is no clarity on whether he will be able to continue with his visits scheduled for tomorrow. 

Earlier, the Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal told ANI, "Rahul Gandhi's convoy has been stopped by police near Bishnupur. Police say that they are not in a position to allow us. People are standing on both sides of the road to wave to Rahul Gandhi. We are not able to understand why have they stopped us." 

In Churachandpur, he was supposed to meet the people suffering in relief camps and “to provide a healing touch in the strife-torn state”, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted. 

"We fear repetition of such events and hence as a precaution, requested the convoy to halt at Bishnupur," a police officer told PTI. 

Kharge slammed the Narendra Modi government, saying that the move violates all “constitutional and democratic norms”. 

“PM Modi has not bothered to break his silence on Manipur. He has left the state to fend for itself. Now, his double engine disastrous governments are using autocratic methods to stall a compassionate outreach by Shri Rahul Gandhi. This is totally unacceptable and shatters all Constitutional and Democratic norms. Manipur needs peace, NOT confrontation (sic),” he said. 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party hit back, with its IT cell chief Amit Malviya saying that the senior Congress leader was not a "messiah of peace, just a political opportunist, who wants to keep the pot boiling." 

One of worst crisis 

Manipur is facing one of its worst ethnic flare-ups in recent decades. The clashes first began after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was called by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM).

The march was organised in protest against the demand for inclusion of the area’s majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court order.

The Indian laws provide reservations in some government jobs, college admissions and electoral seats for communities under the ST category as a form of affirmative action to tackle historical structural inequality and discrimination.

The Kuki community has opposed the Meitei community’s inclusion in the list, fearing opportunity and job loss due to the group’s demographically and politically advantageous position.

(With inputs from agencies)

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