Manipur: Biren Singh says ‘sorry’, Congress wonders why PM Modi can’t

After Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh on Tuesday, 31 December 2024, apologised for the ethnic conflict in the state, the Congress asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi can't go there and do the same — even as he manages to travel across the country and the world.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the people of Manipur cannot understand their neglect by the prime minister, whom he accused of deliberately avoiding a visit to Manipur.

'Why can't the Prime Minister go to Manipur and say the same thing there? He has deliberately avoided visiting the state since May 4, 2023, even as he jets around the country and the world,' Ramesh said in his post.

'The people of Manipur simply cannot understand this neglect,' he said.

His comments came hours after Biren Singh apologised for the ethnic conflict in Manipur, which has claimed at the very least 250 lives and rendered thousands homeless since May 2023. The chief minister also appealed to all communities to 'forget and forgive' past mistakes and live together in a "peaceful" and "prosperous" state.

"I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise. But after seeing relative peace in the last three-four months, I hope that normalcy will be restored in the coming year.

"Whatever happened, has happened... I want to appeal to all communities to forgive and forget our past mistakes and start life afresh by living together in a peaceful and prosperous Manipur," Singh said in Imphal.

The chief minister also claimed that firing incidents have declined in the state over the past 20 months since the ethnic conflict broke out in May 2023.

Manipur Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Okram Ibobi Singh, meanwhile, expressed disappointment over the alleged failure of the Centre and the state government both to resolve the 19-month-long violence in the northeastern state.

The state assembly is the only appropriate platform to discuss and find solutions to Manipur’s crisis, he told reporters at Congress Bhavan in Imphal.

Singh said the Congress has made repeated appeals to convene a state assembly session to address the critical issues affecting the northeastern state but the authorities have not paid any attention to the appeal.

“The state assembly is the only appropriate platform to discuss and find solutions to Manipur’s crisis. Today marks the end of the calendar year, and yet, the assembly has not been convened despite memoranda being submitted to the governor and the CM," he said.

Singh emphasised the urgent need for an assembly session given the state’s situation.

"Several states, like Karnataka, have established rules mandating a minimum of four assembly sittings annually. Manipur should adopt a similar practice. We are disappointed over the failure of the Centre and the state government to resolve the crisis," he said.

The Congress leader warned of "potential unrest if the government continues to ignore public grievances".

“If the people lose trust in the government and reach a breaking point, the security forces might struggle to control people's anger,” he cautioned.

Singh also recounted his recent conversation with a senior Assam Rifles officer and expressed gratitude for their efforts in evacuating people belonging to the minority communities from conflict zones like Moreh and Churachandpur.

However, Singh criticised the paramilitary force for not preventing militants from destroying homes in these areas.

“The focus should have been on protecting the minorities and stopping the violence at its source,” he asserted.

More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur since May last year.