GUWAHATI: An X post of Congress leader P Chidambaram created brouhaha in Manipur on Tuesday with Chief Minister N Biren Singh blaming the party for the ongoing crisis in the state.
The Congress distanced itself from Chidambaram’s post, now deleted, calling it his personal remarks.
Chidambaram said, “Rushing 5,000 MORE central armed police jawans is not the answer to the Manipur crisis. It is more wisdom: acknowledging that Mr Biren Singh, the chief minister, is the cause of the crisis and removing him immediately.”
He further stated, “It is more understanding: that the Meitei, the Kuki-Zo and the Naga can live together in one state only if they have genuine regional autonomy. It is more statesmanship: for the Hon'ble PM to give up his obstinacy, visit Manipur, and speak to the people of Manipur with humility and learn first hand their grievances and aspirations.”
The chief minister wasted no time in hitting back.
“He (Chidambaram) is the root cause of the Manipur crisis and the Congress is the creator of what we are seeing in the state today. When he was the Union home minister during the then Congress government and O Ibobi was the chief minister here, they brought a Myanmarese foreigner Thanglianpau Guite, who himself admitted in one of the interviews that he contested an MP election in Myanmar. That person is the chairman of Zomi Revolutionary Army which is banned in Myanmar,” Singh said.
Showing a photo featuring Chidambaram with Guite, Singh claimed that the Congress never cared for the Northeast and its indigenous people.
“The present crisis is not an ethnic conflict. It is the problem of illegal migration of people from Myanmar and drug smuggling. They are trying to dominate the indigenous population of Manipur and entire Northeast,” Singh said.
He alleged Chidambaram as the home minister allowed these foreigners to enter India and sign suspension of operations agreement. “Whatever we are seeing in Manipur today is the creation of the Congress. They cannot wash their hands off the crisis,” Singh further stated.
Congress distances itself
The Congress was alarmed by Chidambaram’s statement that Meiteis, Kuki-Zos and Nagas can live together in one state only if they have genuine regional autonomy.
Ibobi said the Congress’ state leadership contacted party chief Mallikarjun Kharge immediately after reading Chidambaram’s statement.
“I told Kharge Ji it could be his (Chidambaram’s) personal views but this will create a lot of misunderstanding in Manipur. After Kharge Ji spoke to Chidambaram Ji, he deleted the post,” the former CM said, adding, “I will speak to him (Chidambaram) and tell him to not make such comment on Manipur.”
‘Coffin rally’
Hundreds of Kuki-Zo tribals took out a rally in Churachandpur on Tuesday, carrying empty coffins in solidarity with the 10 “village Volunteers” killed by the CRPF and the police in a gunfight in Jiribam district on November 11.
Kuki-Zo organisation Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum had stated earlier that a decision was made to not perform the last rites till the reports of the post-mortem, conducted in Assam’s Silchar Medical College and Hospital, are handed over to the families.
