Nine BJP MLAs from Manipur, hit by violence since May 3, submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the law and order situation in the state. They said people in the state have lost faith in the government headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Nine Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators from violence-hit Manipur wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the people of the state have lost complete faith in the N Biren Singh-led government.
Submitting a five-point memorandum to PM Modi, the MLAs said there was no trust and confidence in the government and the administration.
"Some special measures for proper administration and function of the government by following the rule of law may kindly be resorted to so that the trust and confidence of the people are restored," the memorandum read.
It was signed by nine BJP MLAs -- Karam Shyam Singh, Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, Nishikant Sing Sapam, Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh, S Brojen Singh, T Robindro Singh, S Rajen Singh, S Kebi Devi, and Y Radheshyam. They all belong to the Meitei community.
The legislators requested a meeting to be arranged between the Kuki MLAs and Meitei MLAs. They also demanded uniform deployment of central forces across all parts of Manipur.
The memorandum also stressed that the integrity of the state should not be compromised and that the request for a separate administration by any community should not be taken into consideration at any cost.
Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities.
The memorandum labelling the N Biren Singh-led government as a failure is being seen as another episode of dissidence within the Manipur BJP.
In April, Karam Shyam Singh resigned from the post of chairman of the Tourism Corporation of Manipur, alleging that he had not been assigned any responsibility in his job.
Not just Karam Shyam Singh, three other signatories of the memorandum -- Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, S Brojen Singh and Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh -- had resigned from various administrative and advisory positions in the government, indirectly expressing dissidence against N Biren Singh.
The memorandum was submitted to PM Modi on the day when 28 BJP MLAs from the Meitei community, who are loyalists of N Biren Singh, met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi. They had demanded strict action against Kuki militant groups under Suspension of Operation (SoO).
Most Meitei groups claim that Kuki militants are behind the current violence. The next day, on June 20, eight of the nine signatories joined the other delegation and met BJP’s national general secretary BL Santhosh.
“They were misled. We all agreed that we can leave politics behind and should work to bring peace back to the state,” Imo Singh told India Today NE.
However, one of the nine signatories, Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, was not part of the delegation that met BL Santosh. In April, Radheshyam Singh resigned as the advisor to N Biren Singh.
Speaking to India Today NE, Radheshyam Singh, said that the two warring communities should be contacted by a third party and the MLAs from both communities should come forward for dialogues to find a solution and establish peace in the state.
“There are two Kuki ministers who have not visited Imphal since the violence broke out. If they can’t visit Imphal, the functioning of the government will be paralysed. Can we have peace and a solution without involving the Kukis?” he asked.
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