BJP is backing vigilante groups to stifle voices in Manipur, claims report

NT Correspondent

Imphal: An all-women committee has stated in its report that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Manipur has systematically silenced credible voices in the state by endorsing and supporting vigilante groups.

“The BJP regime’s coercive approach has enabled the hijacking of rational and societal building voices by the divisive and hate-filled agenda of statesupported non-state groups,” the panel said in its report.

“The blanket impunity provided to such forces and select CSOs [Civil Society Organisations] by the State has totally emboldened such groups, given them a sense of complete security and enabled them and not the progressive voices to control the narrative.”

Social activists Angela Rangad of Meghalaya, Jarjum Ete of Arunachal Pradesh, Roshmi Goswami of Assam, and Delhi-based advocate Syeda Hameed jointly submitted the report.

They commenced their visit to Manipur on August 3. Since the eruption of violence on May 3rd between the Kuki and Meitei communities in the Northeastern state, a tragic toll of 187 lives lost and approximately 60,000 individuals displaced from their residences have been recorded.

Within this unrest, incidents of rape and murder have been reported, while mobs, despite the substantial presence of central security forces, have ransacked police armories and ignited multiple homes.

Opposition parties have blamed the Centre and the BJPled state government for failing to control the violence. Several leaders and even Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs in Manipur have demanded the removal of Singh, who belongs to the Meitei community.

“We were told that the arms were both looted or handed over upon production of ‘Aadhaar cards’ from the police stations and depots!” the panel said.

“We saw people moving around with AK-47s casually slung over their shoulders clad in casuals or in military fatigues!”

They added that the availability of such arms in a state with an extensive international border is “deeply disturbing” and totally incomprehensible from a point of view of national security.

The social activists also said that both the Meteis and Kukis in the state have pointed out the failure of the BJP governments at the Centre and at the state in controlling the violence.

“People were unanimous in saying that if the violence was controlled and reined in during the first few days of its outburst in May, it would not have accelerated the way it did and they would not be in the present state that they are in,” they said in the report.

The report also said that the immediate as well as longterm fallout of the conflict is the issue of internally displaced people who are currently living in relief camps.

“State presence appeared to be absent or minimal in the relief camps,” they said.

“We were told that when the conflict began much of the relief arrangements were being done by community groups particularly in the localities where these camps came up.”