European Union’s Parliament on Thursday, adopted a resolution on the situation in Manipur, asking India to act promptly to end violence in Manipur, to which India said that such interferences in India’s internal affairs are unacceptable.
Earlier on Wednesday, when European Parliament planned a discussion on Manipur violence, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra informed that India has reached out to the concerned EU parliamentarians and made it very clear that this is absolutely an internal matter to India.
These comments from the EU Parliament come just when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is about to start his two-day visit to France where he is going to attend the traditional Bastille Day military parade as the Guest of Honour and also address the Indian diaspora.
What is happening in Manipur?
Manipur unrest happened over quota demand. It has been burning for two months after an ethnic clash broke out between Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribes in the region. The tension arose after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ on 3rd May which was held in the state to protest against the demand of Meitei for Scheduled Tribe status. The quota demand received a boost from an order by Manipur High Court the previous month.
Violence erupted was such that the Government had to deploy Indian Army to tackle the situation. About 9,000 people had to be shifted to safer places.
Manipur police have now assured that the area is returning to normalcy however there are few areas yet to be secured.
What does the EU Resoution on Manipur say?
The EU Parliament in its resolution said that it “denounces in the strongest terms nationalistic rhetoric deployed by leading members of the Bhartiya Janta Party.”
The motion called for the European Union to place human rights and democratic values at the core of its engagement with India.
The resolution noted that the intolerance towards minority communities is the reason for the current violence in Manipur. It also mentioned concerns about politically motivated policies.
The EU Parliament has called for the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the region and urged that the internet shutdown also be lifted. It proposed that the EU and India jointly form a strategy to address human rights issues.
India’s Response
In response to the media queries on European Parliament discussing developments in Manipur, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Mr. Arindam Bagchi said “We have seen that European Parliament held a discussion on developments in Manipur and adopted a so-called Urgency Resolution.”
He said that such interference in India’s internal matters is not acceptable and that it shows a ‘colonial mindset’. MEA advised the European Parliament to utilise its time more productively on its internal issues.
