New Delhi:Ahead of a planned debate in European parliament on the situation in Manipur, India on Wednesday said it has been made clear to the parliamentarians that this is a matter "absolutely" internal to the country.
A motion for a resolution on the Manipur situation was tabled in the Brussels-based EU parliament and it was scheduled to be taken up on Wednesday. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said EU parliamentarians concerned are being reached out and it has been made clear to them that it is a matter "absolutely" internal to India.
Manipur has been witnessing violent clashes, especially between Kuki and Meitei communities for close to two months. The opposition parties have been accusing the government of failing to contain the violence. "This is a matter totally internal to India," Kwatra said, replying to a question on the matter at a press conference.
He said New Delhi is aware about what is happening at the EU parliament in Brussels. "We made a reach-out to the concerned EU parliamentarians. But we made it very clear that this is a matter absolutely internal to India," he said.
The violence in Manipur between the Hindu Meiteis and the tribal Kuki, who are Christians, erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3. Violence has gripped the entire State for over a month now and the Central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control.
Violence broke out in Manipur following the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The Meitei community is the majority community. They reside in the Imphal Valley and nearby areas. Due to their increased population, there was an increased demand for land. Only STs can buy lands in hilly areas. So, in order to get lands in the hilly areas, they sought the ST status. The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined the plea of the Manipur Tribal Forum seeking protection of the Kuki tribe by the Indian Army in the State. (With agency Input)
