Guwahati, July 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today finally spoke on Manipur emphasizing there is a need to handle the situation with wisdom and patience.
Repyling to the motion of thanks on the President’s Address in Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his elaborate speech said the Government was continuously making efforts to ease the situation in Manipur. He added that there were more than 11,000 FIRs lodged and more than 500 wrongdoers were arrested during and after the unrest in Manipur.
There has been vehement criticism of the Prime Minister for not uttering a single word on Manipur inspite of the serious situation. Congress MP From Manipur, Dr A Bimol Akoijam on Monday had criticised the Central government for keeping silent on the grave situation in the state.
Taking note of the 5-year-long social conflict in Manipur from 1993 onwards, Modi emphasized that there is a need to handle the situation with wisdom and patience. He invited all the like-minded people to help him in his efforts to ensure normalcy and peace in Manipur.
“We must acknowledge the fact that the incidents of violence in Manipur are on a continuous downward trajectory which means the hope for peace was a definite possibility in Manipur. “As on today, schools, colleges, offices and other institutions were functioning normally in Manipur” he said.
The Prime Minister underlined that Central and State Governments were in discussion with all the stakeholders to ensure peace and cordiality in Manipur. He highlighted that the Home Minister himself led the efforts of peace from the front by being in Manipur. He further added that even the senior officials were pressed into the task of finding solutions to the problems and ensuring peace.
Modi underlined that it was the time and duty of all stakeholders to toe the political and party lines to ensure peace and normalcy in Manipur. The Prime Minister also requested the dissidents to stop provoking and further endangering the security situation of Manipur. He reminded the House that the social conflict in Manipur is deeply rooted with a long history, leading to the imposition of President’s rule 10 times since independence.
The Prime Minister said that the Northeast is fast becoming the gateway of the nation’s progress. He narrated steps taken in this direction in the last few years. He mentioned the unprecedented growth of infrastructure in the Northeast. He also expressed hope for a long-lasting impact of the efforts to ensure permanent peace in the region as boundary disputes among the states are being addressed in a meaningful manner with consensus.
