‘Time to toe political and party lines…’ PM Modi breaks silence on Manipur crisis

Imphal, July 3: Breaking the silence on the Manipur crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday said that the government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in the ethnic conflict-hit northeastern state.

Speaking on Manipur in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi says, "The government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered, and over 500 people have been arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur. Today, schools, colleges, offices, and other institutions are open in the state. Restoring peace and tranquillity back to the state is our mission. With close coordination of the Central and State Governments, we are undertaking peaceful negotiation and dialogue with all the stakeholders of both communities for an amicable and lasting solution.”

PM 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. He also requested the dissidents to stop provoking and further endangering the security situation in Manipur.

The Prime Minister, however, reminded the House that the social conflict in Manipur is deeply rooted with a long history, leading to the imposition of the president’s rule 10 times since independence. Taking note of the 5-year-long social conflict in Manipur from 1993 onwards, the Prime Minister emphasised 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.

Furthermore, PM Modi expressed concern about the difficult flood situation in Manipur currently. Informing the House that two teams of NDRF were deployed for the flood relief work, he stressed that the central government was closely working with the state government in relief efforts.