IMPHAL: Cracks in Manipur's ruling coalition came out in the open as a key National Democratic Alliance meeting called by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday evening witnessed key absences.
Out of the 45 legislators, only 27 attended the meeting in person and a virtual one joined. The absence of nearly half the legislators highlights growing fissures within the alliance at a time when the state is grappling with a fresh wave of ethnic violence. Among the absentees, six legislators claimed medical grounds, and 11 MLAs, including a minister, did not turn up without an explanation.
Interestingly, Singh's cabinet colleague Y. Khemchand Singh could not make it to the meeting. Absent from the house were all 10 tribal MLAs – seven of them BJP members and three independents. ".
It was after the National People's Party, led by Conrad Sangma, withdrew its support from the BJP-led government. The NPP has seven members in the 60-member assembly, holding the government of failure to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy. Despite that, four NPP legislators attended the meeting, said sources- four on an attendance sheet reviewed by “Hindustan Times”.
During a three-hour meeting held at the Chief Minister's Secretariat, urgent action concerning the crisis was discussed.
Later, Biren Singh shared updates on X and said, "Conducted a very crucial meeting with all ruling MLAs today wherein we strongly condemned the recent killing of innocents in Jiribam. Rest assured, justice will be ensured and firm action will be taken against the perpetrators.". Key decisions on AFSPA and strengthening law & order were also taken to ensure peace and stability in the state." The meeting produced a seven-point resolution, calling for immediate action.
It urged the central government to review its recent decision to reimpose the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and proposed "mass operations" against Kuki militants accused of killing six members of a Meitei family in Jiribam. The resolution further supported a cabinet decision made earlier to transfer three critical cases to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
These include the killings in Jiribam, the burning of a Hmar woman on November 7, which allegedly sparked the current cycle of violence, and the murder of a Meitei woman farmer on November 9 in Bishnupur district. The resolution further asked that the Kuki militants, within a week, be declared an "unlawful organization" for their role in the Jiribam killings.
The meeting came as protests have been going on for weeks in the state capital, Imphal. Protestors ransacked several ministers and MLAs' houses demanding their resignation over the failure to protect Meitei resident's authorities. The discovery of six bodies, including children, yesterday has ignited public anger further and intensified the crisis.
According to the leader, who sought anonymity, it is now the fourth consecutive session where mid-level party leaders have abstained or expressed disagreement on various issues put forth. "There are 19 people reportedly against Biren Singh and his handling of the riots. Of the 19, we believed 15 would not attend. But some dissenters surprisingly showed up, while others citing medical reasons remain questionable," a mid-level leader noted.
While concluding the resolution, the legislation dished out a veiled warning that if the steps are not implemented within the given time frame, then NDA legislators will decide their further course of action after consultation with the people of the state. The people of Manipur stand at a critical juncture of heightening tensions and deepening divisions, awaiting decisive steps for the restoration of peace and stability.
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