Congress leader Adhir says condition of relief camps is pathetic

A delegation of 21 Opposition MPs of INDIA bloc alliance, who called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan on Sunday, claimed in their memorandum that the condition of relief camps “is pathetic – to say the least”, and special care needs to be taken for the children staying on a priority basis.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country.

Chowdhury said that the visiting MPs will present their observations on Manipur in Parliament.

“We have requested a discussion on Manipur in Parliament as the situation is deteriorating every day,” he said.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, while apprising the Governor of how the people in relief camps have been staying, said the people are in pain and sorrow and feeling of depression and fear is also common in their minds.

Almost all sections of the society, including women, children and students, are affected and it is high time to take concrete steps to end the ongoing conflict.

The delegation, who are on a two days visit to Manipur landed in Imphal on Saturday and visited various relief camps in Churachandpur, Bishnupur and Imphal districts where they met the violence affected people.

“It is not only a problem of law and order but an ethnic conflict which needs special attention and therefore, an appropriate step to end the conflict and to remove hatred among the communities have to be initiated to restore peace and normalcy in the state”, said Chowdhury.

The delegates submitted a memorandum to the Governor and requested to restore peace and harmony by taking all effective measures where justice should be the cornerstone.

“The failure of both the Central and state governments to protect the lives and properties of the people of the two communities is apparent from the figures of more than 140 deaths, more than 500 injuries, burning of more than 5,000 houses and internal displacement of more than 60,000 people,” the delegation said in the memorandum.

“From the reports of incessant firing and arson of houses in the last few days, it is established beyond doubt that the state machinery has completely failed to control the situation for the last almost three months,” they claimed.

In order to bring peace and harmony, rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected persons is most urgent, they said.

Besides Chowdhury and Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation includes TMC’s Sushmita Dev, JMM’s Mahua Maji, DMK’s Kanimozhi, Jayant Chaudhary of RLD, Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD, N K Premachandran of RSP, JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Aneel Prasad Hegde (JD-U), CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar and CPI(M)’s A A Rahim among others.

Governor welcomed the team for their visit to Manipur and appreciated their efforts for the restoration of peace and normalcy.

Governor informed them that she is fully aware of the problems faced by the people consequent upon her visit to different relief camps in both the hills and valley districts.

Both the Central and State governments are making relentless efforts to contain the situation and bring peace and normalcy at the earliest possible time and security forces are also equally discharging their responsibilities to save the people.

She said, to bridge the mistrust between the two communities, hatred among the communities has to be removed and therefore all stakeholders should work in this direction peacefully.

Governor made an appeal to the delegates to extend their fullest cooperation to restore peace and tranquillity through a peaceful dialogue with the representatives of Civil Society Organisations of both the communities to maintain the status quo ante of the aged old tradition of peaceful co-existence.