Perhaps, someday we might be compelled to ask ‘Narendra Modi, who?’ as he continues to ignore the present crisis in Manipur which had gone past two months. Not a single word from him on Manipur, yet he finds time to go on foreign tours, including the United States, playing the Vishwa Guru and he has words for Odisha train tragedy and nearer home Ratha Yatra deaths in Tripura.
Initially, we thought, perhaps he was not properly briefed about the situation on the ground in Manipur by his loyal lieutenants or that he has not made up his mind on what to say given the complexity of the problem here.
Previously, we said that perhaps was not happy with the way things were being handled in the state or maybe he did not want to give a handle to the opposition for not invoking Article 356 (President’s Rule) in the state or there are some other considerations like the geo-political dimension of the present unrest in the state.
ALSO READ: Manipur Violence: Who wants this conflict?
Surely, he must have had his reasons. Well, there is Article 355 already in action but not officially as law and order had been taken over by a Security Advisor fingered by Centre and appointed by the state government.
The frustrations of the chief ministers in matters of security are much evident in his body language during interactions with the media. Even he has chosen to seldom address the media while totally shirking his presence in the social media, which he is so fond of.
As to the supreme leader sitting in New Delhi, one has to understand that he is not a talkative person and he always chooses his words carefully lest someone misunderstands him. That is the very reason he has chosen not to address a press conference all through his career as the top executive of the country, except for some interviews to a favoured few who had been vetted over and over again. He does not take along hordes of reporters in his plane like most heads of states during foreign trips except for those in the official media.
There was no mention of the Manipur crisis in his monthly thoughts (Maan ki Baat) and it seems he had chosen to maintain ‘Mounabarta’ on the Manipur crisis in his official musings.
He mentions Vijayashanti, the lady who spins thread from lotus and when he dons the leirum phi scarf, the BJP bigwigs are ecstatic as if Modi had done a huge favour for the state.
ALSO READ: Manipur lives matter
He had time for the extreme devastation of Cyclone Biparjoy in his home state. There also, he sent his chief trouble-shooter to assess the situation though he himself went to Odisha during the train tragedy while the rising death toll in Manipur was of little concern.
We had asked, how many more lives it would take to break his silence. Everyone is asking the same question as to why he is not speaking or maintaining his silence on the Manipur question. Not only the Congress, but parties like Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are also asking?
Yet, if we recollect our thoughts we would see that this is not the first time that he is maintaining a stoic silence. He had remained strangely silent in the past on certain selected incidents involving radical elements within his party. He must have had his own reasons.
His language of silence is so powerful and pervasive that sometimes we are made to feel guilty as to why we are questioning his silence.
Several political leaders, including his own party MLAs, had gone to Delhi to meet him, to plead with him or apprise him on the evolving situation in the state.
ALSO READ: Manipur crisis - a case of parachute journalism?
Several other groups, including women leaders, are also camping there. Somehow, we must also learn to be patient given his distractions with obsession over foreign trips and image building in the international scenario notwithstanding the fact that Myanmarese illegals are involved in the present turmoil in the state. It is the armed lungi clad Myanmarese illegals who had been creating havoc in the hills of Manipur. Surely, he must have been informed of this since he is the esteemed Prime Minister of the country. Yet, he continues to ignore Manipur? So, why should we bother about him whether he speaks of Manipur? If he has no respect for Manipur, why should we respect him.
READ MORE- IFP EDITORIAL
