Manipur regional party leader writes open letter to Rahul Gandhi, blames Congress for the current crisis

The Manipur Patriotic Party’s General Secretary (Org), Naorem Mohen blamed the Congress Party for being the root cause of the present crisis in the northeastern hill state.

Highlighting the current Manipur violence, Naorem Mohen alleged that the crisis is the outcome of the continuation of the British Policy of Meitei containment by the Indian National Congress Party by encouraging illegal immigration from Myanmar and Bangladesh and converting them into a vote bank and not because of a fight between two communities.

In an open letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Mohen wrote, "Rahul ji, I appreciate your concern for the present violent crisis in Manipur. However, you’ve wrongly described it as a fight between two communities. I take this opportunity to remind you that the present violent crisis in Manipur is the outcome of the continuation of the British Policy of Meitei containment by the Indian National Congress Party by encouraging illegal immigration from Myanmar and Bangladesh and converting them into a vote bank for your party, otherwise known as Congress."

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Further speaking on the Manipur government's decision to withdraw from the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with two militant groups, the Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), for their alleged involvement in inciting agitation among forest encroachers, the letter also mentioned how Congress played a vital role in the formation of SoO with Kuki militant outfits.

"It was the same Congress Government that formalized the Suspension of Operations (SoO) with Kuki militant outfits. Informally started by the Indian Army under the instruction of the Congress Government on 1st August 2005, the SoO became an official tripartite pact on 22nd August 2008. The crux of the pact was to continue the Congress Government’s policy of annihilating valley-based insurgents by grooming the Kuki militant outfits," reads the letter.

The letter also questioned the Congress governments in New Delhi and Imphal's role to bring any political solution to the insurgency movement in Manipur.

The leader also blamed Congress for playing vote bank politics because which Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) demanded by the people of Manipur was never implemented.

On June 24, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh lashed out at the saffron party for allegedly making a wake-up call 52 days after violence hit Manipur state.

In a tweet, the Congress leader wrote, "52 days after Manipur started burning the HM has finally seen it fit to call an all-party meeting on Manipur at 3 pm today. This meeting should actually have been chaired by the PM who has kept silent all this while. It should have been held in Imphal as a demonstration of national anguish. The BJP has failed the people of Manipur miserably."

"Even so the man who brought Manipur back on the path of peace & development as CM for 3 terms between 2002 & 2017 Okram Ibobi Singhji will represent the Congress at HM's meeting. He should be listened to in all seriousness given his vast experience and deep knowledge," the tweet added.

On June 24, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired an all-party meeting in the national capital to discuss the situation in Manipur.