GIANT HOARDINGS ON STREETS CONFIRM MODI’S MANIPUR VISIT
Prominent women bodies in Manipur on Thursday announced holding a “Go back Modi – the butcher” protest on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Imphal while asserting that he would not be welcomed.
The Prime Minister’s Manipur visit on September 13 is almost confirmed when state government agencies started displaying giant hoardings highlighting his visit on the streets in Imphal.
The hoardings with Modi’ photograph read “Viksit Bharat Viksit Manipur” and highlighted the laying of foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore at Peace Ground, Churachandpur, Manipur and inauguration of development projects worth over Rs 2,200 crore at Kangla, Imphal, Manipur by the Prime Minister on Saturday (September 13)
Prominent women bodies under the banner of “Working Group of Meira Paibi” on Thursday announced that its members will hold a protest on the streets during the visit of the Prime Minister with the slogan “Go back Modi – the butcher”.
The leaders of the Working Group further announced that it will not extend a warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit, during a news conference held at the office of Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Lup in Imphal’s Khuyathong.
They said that the decision was taken after an intense deliberation over the Prime Minister’s scheduled visit in the state after prolonged silence on the ongoing crisis.
General secretary of the Working Group Kh Apabi Leima said they had resolved to stage the protest as the Prime Minister failed to address the unprecedented violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, which the Working Group alleged was instigated by illegal immigrants.
She recalled that the violent conflict that has been going for past two years and four months had claimed numerous lives through killings, maiming, sexual violence and enforced disappearances, while thousands of them were forced to stay in the relief camps as internally displaced persons.
Besides the onslaught that has been going on, there was a ban on free movement on the national highways.
With nothing to resolve or end what had been happening in the state for such a long time, what would be the purpose of his (Modi’s) brief visit to the state, she asked.
“Is he is coming to launch “another strategy to sabotage Manipur completely?” she asked.
The main slogan of the planned protest will be “Go back Modi – the butcher” while other slogans prepared by them included “Self-determination is our right,” “AFSPA is a colonial law,” “Stop divide and rule policy,” and “We condemn Modi’s visit,” the general secretary informed.
Attending the news conference, other leaders of the Working Group reiterated their stand on not welcoming the Prime Minister’s and said his visit cannot be seen as a step toward resolving the crisis unless concrete action is announced.
On the other hand, leaders of Imagi Meira, a women-based CSO and Peoples Progressive Alliance Manipur (PPAM) today submitted a memorandum to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Balla with a similar copy to BJP Manipur Pradesh president A Sarda Devi.
In the memorandum, they laid down a list of demands while requesting the Governor and the state BJP leader to convey the demands directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his brief visit to the state scheduled for September 13.
The list of demands to the Centre included resettlement of IDPs to their homes and to abrogate the revised Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement signed with the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF) on September 4, free movement on national highways, among others.
While demanding the abrogation of the recently signed revised SoO agreements, they alleged that cadres of the militant groups had violated ground rules no sooner the agreement was signed.
Talking to the reporters after submitting the memorandums, Imagi Meira president Thokchom Sujata said they were compelled to approach the Governor and the BJP leadership as the Prime Minister’s short visit would leave no room for direct interaction with civil society organisations and Meira Paibis (women bodies).
She said that the two bodies along with women bodies of Sekmai area in Imphal West have been staging a democratic form of protest at Sekmai Bazar for the last seven days demanding basic constitutional rights, including unhindered travel on NH-2 and NH-37, which have been disrupted for movement of one specific community since the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023.