Right Word | Politicisation of Manipur Violence by Opposition is Part of Anti-Modi Rhetoric​

A viral video that shows two women being paraded naked in Manipur has sent shockwaves across the country. At the political level there have been two sets of responses. The first set of response has come from the ruling party, and the second set of response has come from the Opposition. As far as the ruling party or their government at the Centre

is concerned, no less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself categorically said that those guilty of this shameful act would not be spared. The government also said that it was ready to discuss the Manipur violence in Parliament. Meanwhile, following the Prime Minister’s statement, the action is swift. Till the time of writing this column, five accused persons suspected of committing this heinous act have been arrested by the Manipur police and the hunt for the rest of them is on.

Now let us take a look at the second set of responses. The Opposition demanded that there should be a discussion in Parliament and when the government agreed to it then they didn’t let it function. So, there was no discussion on it for the first two days of Parliament. Meanwhile, outside Parliament, the Opposition parties are targeting Prime Minister Modi. It doesn’t make any sense how the Prime Minister can be held responsible for an ethnic conflict where cross-border forces are trying to instigate it further.

The politicisation of a sensitive issue like Manipur violence, where we have a complex interplay of forces influenced by external factors, doesn’t augur well for Indian democracy. In a vast country like India, there would always be some areas which would experience conflicts. The Opposition has every right to question the government of the day on this but it also has the responsibility to follow the norms of parliamentary democracy. It appears that the Opposition is avoiding discussion in Parliament on this by creating a situation where no discussion can happen. This also indicates that it is not interested in conflict-resolution. Rather, it is more interested in keeping the issue alive outside parliament to corner the ruling party.

As we are all aware that this incident has brought into the fore the issue of the tribal welfare also as the victims of this crime are said to belong to a particular tribal community of Manipur. The Opposition parties, especially Congress party, which is leading the charge against the Prime Minister on this front, doesn’t seem to have any moral ground to talk about the issue of tribal welfare. The status of tribals in almost six plus decades of Congress rule at the Centre is quite well known. They remained backward and many of them were converted to Christianity by the missionaries. In fact, north-eastern states, including Manipur, remained the most backward and had become hotbeds of secessionist movements during the Congress rule. The situation has dramatically changed ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre and in most of the north-eastern states. The ethnic conflicts came down to almost nil and most of the separatist movements have been dealt with quite effectively.

However, in May 2023, an unfortunate conflict in Manipur between Meteis and Kukis took place following a High Court decision regarding reservation of Meties as the Scheduled Tribe. Those opposing the reservation for Meties took out a protest march. This volatile situation led to violence and counter-violence between the two communities. There have been at least 160 deaths and thousands of people have been injured and uprooted from their homes and villages.

Instead of politicising the issue, it is time to heal Manipur and bring the two communities together. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already visited the state and brought representatives from all communities together. The Prime Minister has also reacted and one can see the action happening on the ground to nab the perpetrators of gory crimes during this conflict.

There are no immediate solutions in this kind of complex situation. Healing would take time. The governments are generally constrained in this kind of situation. Its job often gets confined to maintaining law and order in such circumstances as the affected parties do not tend to trust the government apparatus easily.

In such a situation, civil society has to play an important role. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and one of its inspired organisations, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, have taken an exemplary lead in this by first carrying out relief work in Manipur for the victims of violence and then by coming out with sensible statements on this issue.

In a statement, issued recently, RSS Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale said, “In this period of terrible grief, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) stands in solidarity with the more than 50,000 displaced and other victims of the ongoing Manipur crisis. The RSS is of the considered opinion that there is no place for violence and hatred in a democratic set-up. It also firmly believes that the solution to any problem is possible only through mutual dialogue and expression of brotherhood in a peaceful atmosphere.”

“The RSS appeals to everyone to overcome the trust deficit that has precipitated the current crisis. It requires comprehensive efforts from both the communities. It can be resolved by addressing the sense of insecurity and helplessness among the Meiteis, as well as genuine concerns of the Kuki community simultaneously,” said Hosabale.

Conclusion

With 2024 Lok Sabha polls due in next 10 months, the Opposition is leaving no stone unturned to target Prime Minister Modi. Their stand on Manipur is also part of anti-Modi rhetoric. The Opposition seems to be so obsessed with perpetuating this anti-Modi rhetoric that it has no qualms about politicising a sensitive issue like Manipur violence. That is not good news for both Manipur and Indian polity as a responsible Opposition is also a basic necessity for a healthy and mature democracy.

The writer, an author and columnist has written two books on RSS. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.