Derek O'Brien demands urgent discussion on Manipur violence by Home panel

NEW DELHI: Senior Member of Parliament from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Derek O'Brien has written to the chairman of the Standing Committee for Home Affairs demanding a discussion urgently on the situation of violence in Manipur. A copy of the letter by the AITC leader to the parliamentary panel chairman Brijlal, a BJP MP reads, "The recent incidents of violence in Manipur have raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the people residing in the region. Reportedly, many are dead and thousands have been displaced. Shoot-at-sight orders have further added to the atmosphere of fear in the State. It is imperative that we understand the ground reality, and assess the extent of the violence. In this regard, holding a standing committee meeting to discuss the ongoing violence in Manipur would provide first hand insights into the situation."

Citing violence which has been continuing for over six weeks, O' Brien wrote, "I urge you to call for a meeting of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs to immediately address the issues that Manipur is facing. I remain hopeful that, together, we can work towards ensuring that normalcy is restored." Meanwhile, on Thursday night miscreants torched the residence of Union Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh in Imphal's Kongba. The union minister was away in Kerala during the time of the incident. the Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs said, "It is extremely sad to see what happened last night. I was told that more than 50 miscreants attacked my home at around 10 pm. Damage has been done to the ground floor and the first floor of my residence. Neither me or anybody from my family was present during that time. Thankfully, nobody got injured."

While Singh hails from the Meiti community, which is in majority in Manipur, he has continued to appeal to everybody, including Meitis and other tribal communities like the Kukis to to stay away from violence and restore peace in the State. "An eye for an eye will make the whole world go blind. Violence doesn't help any cause. Those who are indulging in this violence are doing a huge disservice to the nation. It also reflects that they are enemies of humanity," Singh told ANI. On June 14 in Imphal East, nine people were killed while more than 10 were injured. Yesterday, the state government extended the clamp on internet in the state up to June 20. On Wednesday, miscreants tried to burn down the official residence of Manipur minister Nemcha Kipgen in Imphal West. His home was partly burnt. Since the last month and a half, there have been restrictions in the state of Manipur, including clamp down on the internet.

On May 29, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the northeastern state for a period of four days during which he held meetings with Chief Minister N Biren Singh, leaders of all political parties, civil society, women groups, tribal groups and security personnel. Shah had announced that a peace committee would be formed in the state. The committee was formed days after the announcement by the Home Minister. Violence gripped Manipur on May 3, as clashes were witnessed during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. The ethnic violence continues to grip the state for over a month, in the wake of a directive of the High Court asking the state government to consider including the Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STS). Central paramilitary forces were posted in the state to control the violence and they still continue to be deployed across the state.