Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi is busy congratulating the Asian Games medallists and singing paeans about them including our own Roshibina Devi Naorem who won a silver medal in Wushu Women’s Sanda 60 kg. His words are: ‘She has showcased extraordinary talent and relentless pursuit of excellence. Her discipline and determination are also admirable. Congratulations to her.’ Blah! Blah! He does not even mention ‘Manipur’ in his congratulatory message. The athletes of Manipur had brought so many laurels in the name of India, that is Bharat. 17 year old Hijam Linthoingambi was just like her, a young and upcoming NEET aspirant who was abducted and brutally executed by suspected Kuki militants along with a boy of the same age Phijam Hemanjit. But, Prime Minister Modi has no words for them. Not a word of shock or condemnation from him till now. How brutally indifferent of him!
There was no mention of the Manipur crisis in his monthly thoughts and seems he had chosen to maintain ‘silence’ on Manipur crisis in his official musings. He mentions Vijayashanti, the lady who spuns thread from lotus and when he dons the leirum phi scarf, the BJP bigwigs are estatic as if Modi had done a huge favour for the state. Yes, he did utter a few words when the photos of ‘naked parade’ were splashed everywhere. But, Linthoingambi’s soul-piercing eyes moments before execution do not move Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He continues to ignore the present crisis in Manipur which had had gone past two months. Not a single word from him on Manipur, yet he finds time to go on foreign tours playing the Vishwa Guru and he has words for Orissa train tragedy and nearer home Ratha Yatra deaths in Tripura. But, he has nothing to say about the five months of mayhem in Manipur, the merciless killings and brutal executions, heavily armed militants running riot in the surrounding hills and the unexplained inaction of the forces at his command, the firing of live bullets in crowd control and dispersal.
Yet, the BJP leaders here including the Chief Minister say he is in touch with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah everyday who in turn briefs the Prime Minister on the Manipur situation. We had earlier 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. 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. 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 armed basically lungi clad Myanmarese illegals who had been creating havoc in the hills of Manipur. Surely, he must have been informed go this since he is the esteemed Prime Minister of country. Yet, he continues to ignore Manipur? So, why should bother about him whether he speaks of Manipur or not? If he has no respect for Manipur why should we respect him.
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