In this episode of The Editorial, Mr. Sujit Nair discusses the escalating tensions in the northeastern state of Manipur. Reports indicate fresh incidents of arson, gunfights, abductions, and other inhumane acts. Mr. Nair questions why, amidst this crisis, Manipur’s Chief Minister N. Biren Singh has not resigned and why the Prime Minister has not replaced him, given Singh's poor handling of the situation.
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[00:00:00] Namaskar I am here in front of you to talk about Manipur Violence. Manipur Violence started a year back. Manipur Violence which still continues. Let's get right into the show and talk about it. Yesterday there were gunfights, arson, jiri bomb in Manipur. Mithi families were attacked.
[00:00:35] You know, a mom of three was tortured, brutally tortured. In fact, the autopsy findings suggested third-degree torture using nails and burns inflicted while the victim was alive. Accentuated on Wednesday, the horror of 31-year-old mother of three allegedly raped before burnt to death by armed intruders inside her body.
[00:01:05] village home in Manipur, like I told you. Place called Jiribam. A few days back, there were reports that country made rockets, motors, ammunitions were found in violence at Manipur.
[00:01:21] Manipur. There was a report. So it is not that people are not aware that and people, a lot of our leaders claimed that everything is okay. Sabchangashi. It was not that they were not aware. They were aware because there was a report which says that there are country made rockets and mortars and ammunitions that were found in Manipur.
[00:01:44] They were aware that violence can erupt.
[00:01:48] They were aware that violence can erupt anytime and it did. It did yesterday, Wednesday.
[00:01:52] Manipur, Manipur BJP Males wrote a letter to the Prime Minister saying that Baba, Biren Singh, this Chief Minister of ours, please sack him. He cannot one year and we cannot control violence. People are dying. A mom, a 31-year-old woman was tortured, raped, burnt and killed. And this is not the first incident.
[00:02:19] And if this continues, this won't be the last either. BJP Males wrote to the Prime Minister, Baba, our Chief Minister of our Chief Minister. It doesn't happen.
[00:02:34] We must rise above politics for peace in Manipur is what the Prime Minister said. Rise above politics? For peace in Manipur? You should have good administration in Manipur.
[00:02:50] To have peace in Manipur. You should have good administration and that we don't have today in Manipur. They have seen it. They have seen it. We have seen it for the last one year. There is no good administration.
[00:03:04] In fact, timely intervention improved Manipur's situation. This is what our Prime Minister had said on April 9th, 2024. He said that we have dedicated our best resource and administrative machinery to resolving the conflict.
[00:03:20] Because of the timely intervention of the government of Manipur. There has been marked improvement in the situation. This is what the Prime Minister of India said on April 9th, 2024.
[00:03:34] And today I report to you that a mother, a mother of three, a 31 year old woman was tortured, was beaten, was burned and then raped and killed.
[00:03:49] And the Prime Minister says, Sabchangashi. Sabchangashi.
[00:03:55] Sabchangashi. You know, this gentleman, Beren Singh, who is the Chief Minister of Manipur, he justified why the Prime Minister didn't come to Manipur.
[00:04:12] Because everybody wonders, including me, I too wonder. The Prime Minister, even during Lok Sabha, didn't go to Manipur.
[00:04:19] Didn't go to Manipur. And the reason given by the sitting Chief Minister is that people have made it an issue.
[00:04:27] What? The Prime Minister not visiting Manipur. People have made it an issue. The Prime Minister didn't come here, but he sent the Home Minister, that is Amit Shah, here.
[00:04:37] The Prime Minister spoke about Manipur thrice, August 10th, August 15th, July 23rd.
[00:04:42] He even spoke about it from his Red Fort speech on the Independence Day. He shared everything twice in the Parliament.
[00:04:51] I want him to come, but to come amid this situation. The problem was not between two communities.
[00:04:58] The actual issue was drug detection of illegal immigrants. We destroyed poppy plantation from reserve forest areas.
[00:05:05] However, the immediate reason behind the conflict was the High Court's order. I feel it was not necessary for the PM to come amidst these complications.
[00:05:15] This is what he said. He said the PM doesn't need to come. He spoke no, thrice about Manipur.
[00:05:20] Achha, PM is going to come to Mumbai in a day or two. I think today he is in Mumbai, talking in Shivaji Park.
[00:05:27] Why? Because he wants vote. He wants votes from people of Maharashtra. So he's come. A few days back, he was in another city in Maharashtra.
[00:05:37] And a few days back, in another. So he can go to cities of Maharashtra asking for vote.
[00:05:44] But when our children are being killed, when our, there are, you know, there is one thing I also wanted to add.
[00:05:54] The same place, Jiribam, you know, a family of six, three children and three women are missing.
[00:06:03] They are missing. And the administration says that we are trying to find where they are.
[00:06:11] They are missing. There, the PM doesn't want to go. There, the PM has no time to go.
[00:06:18] Then, the PM says, why should the PM come? He spoke not thrice. Thrice in one year, he spoke about us, no?
[00:06:23] So why should he come? He sent Amishah. But for votes, he doesn't send Amishah. Votes, he goes.
[00:06:30] And if there is violence, when a woman is killed, when three women are missing, when three children are missing,
[00:06:37] he sends Amishah. He doesn't go. And the chief minister says, why should he come? He spoke in the parliament, no?
[00:06:45] So this is what it is. Opposition MPs questioned omission of Manipur violence in Home Secretary's briefing to the parliament panel.
[00:06:54] Manipur violence was not even mentioned when the Home Secretary was briefing the parliamentary panel.
[00:07:04] This is the priority given to Manipur. And this is the importance given to Manipur.
[00:07:11] You see, my question today is very straight and very direct.
[00:07:17] And to the Prime Minister of our country,
[00:07:21] Sir, if somebody doesn't work,
[00:07:23] if somebody is not doing his job right,
[00:07:26] and the fact that a chief minister couldn't contain violence for one year,
[00:07:30] means he is not doing his job right,
[00:07:32] why is he still the chief minister?
[00:07:36] What is that?
[00:07:38] What is the compulsion that you are still making him the chief minister,
[00:07:42] that he is still sitting in that chair?
[00:07:44] What is that compulsion?
[00:07:46] I fail to understand this compulsion.
[00:07:50] Because, you see, in Haryana,
[00:07:52] you changed the sitting chief minister,
[00:07:54] Khattar. Why?
[00:07:55] You changed Manohar Lal Khattar,
[00:07:56] because you knew he would not win elections.
[00:07:58] So, you changed him.
[00:08:00] And you brought Nayib Singh Saini onto the chair.
[00:08:05] You see, Uttarakhand,
[00:08:07] Teerat Singh Rawat resigned,
[00:08:09] and Pushkar Singh Dami was bought.
[00:08:12] Gujarat, Vijay Rupani was replaced by Bhupendra Patel,
[00:08:16] September 2021.
[00:08:17] Before that,
[00:08:19] Anandipen was replaced by Rupani.
[00:08:22] There, you changed.
[00:08:23] Why?
[00:08:23] Because it all is about votes.
[00:08:26] All of that was about votes.
[00:08:28] You changed in Tripura,
[00:08:30] you changed Biplab Dev,
[00:08:32] and replaced him with Manik Sa.
[00:08:34] In Karnataka,
[00:08:36] you changed from B.S. Yedurappa,
[00:08:39] to Basav Raj Bhomai.
[00:08:41] You've changed so many chief ministers.
[00:08:44] Why?
[00:08:44] That was with politics in mind,
[00:08:46] with votes in mind.
[00:08:48] But,
[00:08:49] the same party,
[00:08:51] that talks about Mary Ladley Ben,
[00:08:54] the same party,
[00:08:55] that talks about Mary Ladley Ben,
[00:08:58] a 31 year old,
[00:08:59] and I am telling you this again and again,
[00:09:02] a 31 year old,
[00:09:03] mother of three,
[00:09:05] was tortured,
[00:09:07] was beaten,
[00:09:09] was raped,
[00:09:11] and then burned to death.
[00:09:13] And the chief minister,
[00:09:16] is not questioned.
[00:09:18] Three women,
[00:09:20] three children,
[00:09:21] are abducted.
[00:09:22] They are missing.
[00:09:24] And nobody knows where they are.
[00:09:27] And the chief minister,
[00:09:28] is not questioned.
[00:09:30] You have changed chief ministers,
[00:09:32] like the way you change your clothes,
[00:09:35] honorable prime minister,
[00:09:37] you have changed chief ministers like that,
[00:09:39] for votes,
[00:09:39] and for political reasons.
[00:09:42] But it is sad,
[00:09:45] that when it comes to the life,
[00:09:47] and property of Indians,
[00:09:49] people of India,
[00:09:53] you fail,
[00:09:53] to realize,
[00:09:55] that your chief minister,
[00:09:56] is not delivering.
[00:09:59] That's what I wanted to tell you today,
[00:10:01] till I see you next time.
[00:10:02] That's tomorrow at 10.
[00:10:03] Namaskar.
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