Manipur needs justice & reconciliation, not symbolism, says Gaurav Gogoi

As Manipur continues to reel under unrest, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi cast Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s likely visit not as a grand finale but as the first hesitant step on a long and arduous road toward peace, justice, and the revival of democracy in the strife-torn state.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme on Friday, Gogoi, deputy leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, remarked, “We cannot say normalcy has returned to Manipur… there is no elected government. Modi’s visit should not be seen as the end goal but the start of a long journey to bring peace and reconciliation.”

The Assam Congress president stressed that the people’s aspirations must be met and their fractured relationships healed. He added that the visit, which he said should have taken place two years ago, comes “very much delayed”.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, and the people of Manipur have been denied the PM’s presence for far too long,” he said, urging Modi to apologise for his prolonged absence.

On Assam politics, Gogoi dismissed chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s accusations about his wife’s alleged links with Pakistan’s ISI, instead accusing the BJP of hiding behind “scams” and promising that Congress would continue to highlight them.

Commenting on the new Immigration and Foreigners’ (Exemption) Order, 2025, Gogoi said it undermines the Assam Accord and should have first been debated in Parliament. The order allows minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan—including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians—who entered India until December 31, 2024, to stay in the country citing religious persecution.

Gogoi also backed INDIA bloc’s vice-presidential nominee B. Sudershan Reddy, a former chief justice of the Gauhati High Court. He said Reddy understands the Northeast’s political complexities, including Manipur and the Assam Accord, and would represent the region’s concerns effectively in the highest constitutional forum. “I am confident he will exceed the people’s expectations,” Gogoi asserted.

With PTI inputs