Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been given a deadline of 10 days to visit the violence-hit Manipur and take steps towards restoring peace in the state immediately, stated a peace consultative meeting held at Kanglatongbi in Imphal West on Wednesday.
The one-day meeting, organised by the Forum for Restoration of Peace in collaboration with the All Manipur Gorkha Students' Association and Liangmai Naga, drew the participation of hundreds of individuals representing various ethnic groups.
During the meeting, concerns were raised regarding Modi's failure to visit Manipur despite the unrest persisting for over two months. It was also announced that Prime Minister Modi has been given a deadline of 10 days to visit the state and take steps towards restoring peace.
"Failure to meet this stipulated timeframe would be considered tantamount to inciting violence, similar to Aung San Suu Kyi's actions against the Rohingyas in Burma," the meeting resolved.
The meeting further declared that the PM's failure to visit Manipur within the given timeframe would lead to calls for denouncing Modi as the prime minister, specifically for the state of Manipur.
One of the key decisions taken during the meeting was to designate the Kanglatongbi area as a peace zone, highlighting the pressing need to put an end to the violence.
Participants expressed dissatisfaction with the government's approach criticising its reliance on military operations, rubber bullets, and tear gas. The presence of over 70,000 armed personnel from central forces patrolling the streets of Imphal, the capital city, was deemed to have instilled fear among the citizens, the meeting noted.
The meeting also emphasised the urgent necessity for CM Biren to convene a consultative meeting involving all CSOs and stakeholders as an immediate measure to restore peace expeditiously.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the meeting, Ashang Kasar, the convenor of the Forum for Restoration of Peace, expressed disappointment over PM Modi's silence on the Manipur violence, which has resulted in numerous casualties and forced many families to flee their homes.
Kasar criticised the prime minister for seemingly prioritising garnering votes from Manipur while neglecting the escalating violence.
Additionally, the meeting appealed to the Kuki community to adopt peaceful and democratic means in their pursuit of rights, underscoring the significance of restoring peace for the welfare of all humanity.
The Forum for Restoration of Peace and its collaborators have been tirelessly working to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur, organizing meetings in sensitive areas since the unrest started on May 3.
As the situation in Manipur remains tense, the demand for immediate action from the government and concerted efforts from all stakeholders to restore peace grows more urgent.
Kasar emphasised that the people of Manipur yearn for stability and security, hoping that their voices will be heard and their concerns addressed promptly.
