Opposition MP’s Visit Manipur Amidst Political Tensions 

On their two-day visit to the conflict-torn state of Manipur, the MPs of the opposition INDIA group spent Saturday travelling the state and visiting relief camps. At Raj Bhawan today, the MPs met with the governor Anusuiya Uikey. According to the Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, they would present a memorandum to her based on what they have seen. A delegation of 21 Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) MPs are in Manipur to assess the ground situation there. 

The Agenda 

Congress leader  Chowdhury informed reporters that their goal is to visit as many relief camps as they can and interact with those who have been affected, before they left to Manipur  from Delhi.

The opposition MPs were on a commercial flight headed for Manipur. There have been two groups of MPs who will independently visit various regions to assess the situation. 

The opposition leaders will go to Churachandpur by helicopter after landing in Imphal about noon, where they will meet with Kuki tribe chiefs, members of the civil society, and women’s organizations. Additionally, the MPs will submit a report on the visit and request a debate in Parliament. 

The MP’s Who Visited Manipur

Currently in Manipur, 21 MPs represent opposition parties.

Along with Chowdhury and Gogoi, the delegation also includes Sushmita Dev from the TMC, Mahua Maji from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kanimozhi and D Ravikumar from the DMK, Mohammad Faizal from the Nationalist Congress Party, Jayant Chaudhary from the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Manoj Kumar Jha from the RJD, NK Premachandran from the Revolutionary.

Additionally T. Thirumavalavan of the VCK, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Aneel Prasad Hedge, the leader of the JD-U, ET Mohammed Basheer of the IUML, Sushil Gupta of the AAP, Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, Phulo Devi Netam, and K. Suresh of the Congress. 

The Visit to the Relief Camps

The MPs visited the relief camps in Churachandpur, Moirang in the Bishnupur district, and Imphal on the first day of their two-day trip. In order to visit the four relief camps and speak with as many individuals as possible, the team split into two groups.

The two ladies who were paraded naked and attacked by a crowd on May 4 were met by three female MPs from the INDIA delegation. Students who are facing an uncertain future were encountered. They encountered a lot of people who were living in relief camps but whose homes had been completely destroyed. They met people who requested them to support “our cause and inform the nation about our plight.”

One of the two ladies who were paraded naked and subjected to sexual assault by a mob in Manipur on May 4 was among those they met, TMC MP Sushmita Dev had earlier told PTI. They also met her mother. She explained that the latter’s only plea was that they assist her in seeing at least the bodies of her son and husband, who were murdered in the tragedy. At their meeting, Sushmita Dev stated that they will discuss this with the Governor.

“It was clear  from our interactions that many are afraid to go back to their houses. Families have been split up, and there is concern for their safety, said the Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi from Assam.

Opposition MP’s Meeting the Governor of Manipur

On the second day of the visit, which was on Sunday, I.N.D.I.A parties’ MPs’ delegation reached Rajbhawan Sunday to meet Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey. The memorandum was sent to her by all 21 MPs, said the Congress leader  Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

She herself conveyed her suffering and anguish after we had spoken with her. She concurred with all we stated and everything we saw during the course of our two-day tour. She also advised that we consult with the heads of all communities jointly in order to find a resolution. She further proposed that in order to alleviate the widespread mistrust among the populace, the Opposition and the ruling party should jointly send a delegation of representatives from all parties to Manipur, he added.

The Criticism 

The BJP, which is in power, has requested the opposition MPs not to travel to the state at the time of their visit. The BJP claims that the opposition is aiming to stir up trouble in the state.

Anurag Thakur, a Union minister, called the visit “an act.”

He said to the media, “The INDIA alliance MPs who visited Manipur are just showing off.” When Manipur used to burn under their reign, the opposition and its allies remained silent.

When they return from Manipur, he said, “I would ask Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to bring them to West Bengal. I want to know if he accepts the state’s atrocities against women. The opposition ignored Rajasthan, where there are more killings and crimes against women. Will the INDIA alliance visit Rajasthan as well? 

Point to be Noted 

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, visited Manipur on June 29 and 30. The opposition delegation took  place exactly one month after. On the first day of his visit, his convoy was obstructed, so he flew from Imphal, the state capital, to the violent Churachandpur region.