Rahul Gandhi caps first visit to Manipur as LoP with a message to PM Modi: ‘Take out a day or two to visit the state’

Speaking to the media, he also said he had a message for Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “I feel it is important that the Prime Minister come here. Listen to the people of Manipur. Try and understand what is happening in Manipur. After all, Manipur is a proud state of the Indian Union… Even if there was no tragedy, the Prime Minister should have come to Manipur. And in this huge tragedy, I request the PM to take one day, two days of his time and just listen to the people of Manipur. It will comfort the people of Manipur.”

The one-day visit on Monday was Rahul’s third to Manipur since the outbreak of violence in the state in May 2023. He had first visited in June 2023, and next in January this year, beginning his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the state. His visit also comes after both Lok Sabha seats in the state, earlier represented by NDA MPs, were won by the Congress.

“It’s the third time I’ve come here since the problem started and it has been a tremendous tragedy. Frankly, I was expecting some improvement in the situation, but I was quite disappointed to see that the situation is still nowhere near what it should be. I visited the camps and heard the people there, heard their pain. I came here to listen to them, to build confidence, and as somebody who is in the opposition, to try and apply pressure on the government so that it acts,” he said in Imphal in the evening.

On Monday morning, he first arrived in Silchar in Assam’s Cachar district, and visited a relief camp located in Hmarkhawlien village, where Kuki-Zo people displaced because of tensions in the neighbouring Manipur district of Jiribam are taking shelter. Around 2,000 people, both Kuki-Zos and Meiteis, have been displaced after the flare-up of violence in Jiribam – which has a mixed population – last month.

He then headed towards Jiribam, where he met displaced Meitei people at a relief camp. From there, he returned to Silchar and flew to Imphal, and then travelled to Churachandpur district. On his way back to Imphal, he stopped at Moirang in Bishnupur district, meeting displaced people in both places. He also met Governor Anusuiya Uikey.

Lydia Hmar, a resident of Jiribam who is currently seeking shelter in Hmarkhawlien, was one of the people who spoke to him. “There wasn’t much time but he asked us how we are staying here and we told him about the problems, like how we need medical support and help for our children’s education,” she said, adding that he is the first political leader to visit them.

Thoudam Shanti, originally from New Bazaar in Churachandpur, was among the inmates of Phubala relief camp in Bishnupur who also met Rahul on Monday. “He assured he will do whatever he can to restore peace. All we want is to return to our homes. We also apprised him about other issues like implementation of NRC and border fencing.” Shanti has been staying at the relief camp since the start of the violence along with four members of her family.

Addressing reporters in Imphal after visiting the relief centres, Rahul said, “Here, the need of the hour is peace. Violence is hurting everybody. Thousands of families have been harmed, property has been destroyed. Family members have been killed. And I have never seen anywhere in India what is going on here. The state is completely split in two. And it is a tragedy for everybody involved. I want to tell all the people of Manipur, I come here as your brother. I come here as somebody who wants to help you, somebody who wants to work with you to bring back peace in Manipur. And I am ready to do whatever I can, the Congress party is ready to do whatever it can to bring back peace here.”

Rahul also received memoranda from civil society groups representing both Meitei and Kuki-Zo interests. In its memorandum to Rahul, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum – a Kuki-Zo group based in Churachandpur – pushed their demand for a separate administration. COCOMI – a Meitei civil society group – requested him to urge the central government to give budgetary support to compensate for losses and to “contain the armed terrorists”.

The day of his visit was also marked by fresh violence in Jiribam, which had been relatively quiet since the flare-up of tensions there in early June. Around 3:30 am on Monday, gunmen opened fire from Phaitol in the neighbouring hill district of Tamenglong towards Gularthol in Jiribam. While there were no injuries, an armoured vehicle came under fire.