Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu appeals: 'Manipur ki Sabhi Praja ko Bacha Lijiye'

Tokyo Olympics silver medal-winning weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has taken to social media to request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and restore peace in her home state of Manipur. “Manipur ki sabhi praja ko bacha lijiye, aur pehle jaise shanti laiye (Please save all the people of Manipur and restore peace in the state),” Mirabai said in a video.

Even though Mirabai Chanu is currently in the USA, training for the upcoming world championship and Asian games, her thoughts are firmly fixed on her troubled home state. She expressed her concern for Manipur's deteriorating situation, where lives have been lost, homes burnt, and violence continues unabated. 

The state has been grappling with violence for over three months, adversely affecting athletes' training, disrupting students' education, and causing irreparable damage to the lives of its residents.

The crisis in Manipur began on May 3, triggered by demands from the Meitei community to be included in the Scheduled Tribes list, a move that was met with opposition from the Kuki community. Since then, the region has been engulfed in unrest, prompting decorated athletes from Manipur, including former India football captain Oinam Bembem Devi, weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, boxers Sarita Devi and L Ibomcha Singh, and judoka Shushila Devi Likmabam, to take a stand. These accomplished sports personalities have even threatened to return their hard-earned medals if peace is not restored promptly.

Joining the ranks of those advocating for peace in Manipur is former Rajya Sabha MP and Olympic bronze medallist, Mary Kom. In a separate video appeal, she, too, urged Prime Minister Modi to step in and help quell the violence that has engulfed Manipur for far too long.