Tipa (Mizoram): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday appealed to the warring Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur to end "trust deficit" by holding "heart-to-heart" conversation, saying violence is no solution to any problem.
In his address at an election rally in this southern-most tip of Mizoram bordering Myanmar, Singh said the violence has not been done by any political party and that it happened because of certain situations. "The Northeast has been peaceful in the last nine years. Insurgency has ended in every state. However, we have witnessed unfortunate incidents of violence in Manipur this year that has pained us a lot," he said.
"Violence is no solution to any problem. What we need is heart-to-heart conversation. I appeal to both the communities (Meitei and Kuki) to sit together and end the trust deficit (between them)," the defence minister said, in comments seen as a fresh attempt by the Centre to bring peace to the troubled state. Manipur has been witnessing deadly violence since May because of hostilities between Meiteis and Kukis that has left over 180 people dead and hundreds wounded or displaced.
The Manipur crisis has found prominence in the campaign for November 7 assembly election in Mizoram with both the Congress and the Mizo National Front (MNF) highlighting the situation in the neighbouring state. "I want to categorically say that it (violence) did not take place because of any political party. It happened because of certain situations," Singh said. Several opposition parties have accused the BJP of backing the Meitei community, a charge rejected by the party.
The defence minister also accused the Congress of trying to exploit the situation in Manipur for political gain. "When the situation in Manipur was deteriorating, Congress tried its best to do politics over it," he said at the rally in Tipa locality of Siaha district. "It was told to their political leaders not to go (to Manipur) at that time, but they still went and scratched people's wounds," Singh said.
He made similar remarks at another election rally in Mamit. "There is a need to keep the entire country including Mizoram and Northeast away from the negative politics of Congress," he added. The defence minister said the Narendra Modi-government "believes that unless Northeast is truly developed, the dream of a strong, prosperous and self-reliant India will not be fulfilled". In his address, Singh said an operation to ensure a drug-free Mizoram will be rolled out if the BJP comes to power in the state.
"We will launch operation 'Drug-Free Mizoram' to curb drug addiction among youths across the state." He also referred to the use of the Air Force in Mizoram by the Congress government in the Centre in 1966. "I compliment you for maintaining unity and national integrity in the face of adversity," Singh said.
"When Congress was ruling at the Centre, they carried out the country's first air strike on Mizoram. Now, BJP is in power and we will never do such things," he said, recalling the episode of 1966 when the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a strike in Aizawl. The strike was carried out targeting some militants. The defence minister said the BJP will change the development landscape of Mizoram if it comes to power in the state. "The BJP is synonymous with development and governance. We are here to provide Mizoram a new kind of politics that is based on good governance, development and welfare of the people. We believe in Justice to all and appeasement of none," he added.
The elections for the 40-seat Mizoram assembly will be held on November 7 and the result will be announced on December 3. The key players in the election are the ruling MNF, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), the Congress and the BJP. The MNF and the BJP used to share a cordial relationship. However, the parties are fighting with each other in the upcoming polls.
The BJP is looking at its maiden entry into the next Mizoram government after it dramatically expanded its presence in the majority of the Northeastern states in the last few years. At present, the party is in power in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Manipur and it emerged as a crucial player in Nagaland.
In his address, Singh also highlighted the Modi government's efforts to boost connectivity in the Northeast. "In the year 2014, there were only eight airports and one waterway in the Northeast. Today, we have 17 airports and 18 waterways in the Northeast," he said. "An ambitious project to connect India with Thailand via highway is underway. The day this project is completed, the entire North-East will be transformed. Mizoram will also get its advantage," he said.
Alleging corruption in implementation of SEDP (Socio-Economic Development Programme) scheme, Singh said a special investigation will be launched if the BJP comes to power. He said corruption in Mizoram has increased under the current MNF government. "We will establish the Mizoram Sports Academy, providing fully-funded scholarships for aspiring athletes with a strong emphasis on football, wrestling, weightlifting, hockey, and badminton," he said.
"We will increase the annual financial assistance from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme," he added. "We will introduce Queen Ropuiliani Women Empowerment Scheme whereby every girl child will be offered a cumulative financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh," Singh added. In the 2018 assembly polls, the MNF won in 28 seats with a vote share of around 37.8 per cent. The ZPM had bagged six seats while the Congress managed to secure only five seats with 30 per cent vote share. The BJP won in one seat.
