Imphal: The official quarters of woman Manipur minister Nemcha Kipgen in Lamphel area in Imphal West district was set on fire by unidentified people on Wednesday night, an official said.
The incident occurred after nine people were killed and 10 others injured when suspected miscreants attacked a village in the Khamenlok area of ethnic strife-hit Manipur, officials said. No one was present in the quarters of Kipgen, a Kuki community leader, when it was torched. Firefighters reached the spot and doused the flames before the blaze could spread to the neighbourhood.
No group has owned responsibility as yet for the arson. Earlier, at around 1 am, armed miscreants surrounded the Kuki village of Khamenlok area bordering Imphal East district and Kangpoki district and launched the attack, officials said. In the gun battle that ensued, both sides suffered casualties and injuries.
The area lies along the borders of the Meitei-dominated Imphal East district and tribal-majority Kangpokpi district. Meanwhile, the district authorities have cut short the curfew relaxation hours from the usual 5 am to 6 pm in Imphal East district and Imphal West district to 5 am to 9 am.
Curfew remains in force in 11 of the 16 districts of Manipur, while internet services are suspended in the entire northeastern state. More than 100 people lost their lives and 310 others were injured in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago. Army and para-military personnel were deployed to restore peace in the state.
Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
The Congress on Wednesday asked why has the "double engine" BJP government failed to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur as it alleged that the prime minister has remained a "mute spectator" and has not even chaired a meeting on the situation in the violence-hit state. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that the measures announced by Home Minister Amit Shah were "too little and too late" and have failed to deliver on the ground.
"Shri Narendra Modi has remained a mute spectator. Modi ji has not even had the time to chair a meeting on Manipur. But, the Congress party shall keep questioning Modi Government's rank incompetence," he said on Twitter. "Why has the 'double engine' BJP Government failed to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur? Is it because the BJP intends to widen the fissures between ethnic groups for its cheap political gains?" he also asked. Kharge said news reports of "NDA's NEDA chairman and Assam chief minister and RSS' national executive member taking the help of insurgent groups" to fight previous elections are clearly saying so.
"Why hasn't the Prime Minister not called an All-Party meeting to deliberate political solutions? It is high time the Modi government take responsibility for their crimes perpetrated on the people of Manipur and becomes accountable," he said. The Congress chief said nine people have lost their lives in Manipur violence on Tuesday. "The Modi government's shameless drumbeating about Northeast has drowned the voices of humanity in Manipur," he said.
"Even as a beautiful border state of India is plunged into an unending spiral of raging fire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned the other way," he said, adding that miscreants have ransacked five lakh ammunition pieces and 4,573 weapons from police armouries, and hundreds of places of worship have been destroyed. It is unthinkable that troops that 19 Assam Rifles vehicles, which are operationally under Indian Army, have been left stranded and had to be supplied rations by army helicopters, yesterday, he said, noting that the National Highway - NH-02 has been blocked by protesting groups have resulted in massive logistical challenges.
"The measures announced by Union Home Minister were too little and too late and failed to deliver on the ground," Kharge said. Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh also attacked the Centre over the situation in Manipur, saying Shah's "belated" visit hasn't had a significant impact as the agony of the people of the state continues unabated.
Meanwhile, The Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, an RSS-affiliated body, on Wednesday called for restoration of peace in violence-hit Manipur and appealed to eminent people from different walks of life to come forward to soothe tempers. In a statement, ABVKA president Ram Chandra Kharadi said the central government is not able to restore peace in the state as the mutual trust between the Kukis and the Meiteis, who have been living together for thousands of years, have "broken into pieces".
"This violence which is continuing for the last one-and-a-half months has not only claimed hundreds of lives, but also thousands of people from both the communities have had their houses burnt, forced to live in relief camps like refugees in their own state," he said. "The loss is not only of life and property but of mutual trust. The mutual trust of the two communities which have been living together for thousands of years has broken into pieces. This is the reason why the efforts of the central government to restore peace are also failing," he added.
Kharadi said the broken homes will be rebuilt but restoration of broken trust is the "biggest challenge". "And, it will start with restoration of peace and normalizing the situation," he said, adding, "Now is not the time to know the reasons behind the unfortunate violent incidents took place but to restore peace and harmony".
Kharadi noted that when the government becomes "helpless", domestic and foreign "selfish elements" start adding fuel to the fire. This is the time when the entire country, spiritual leaders, sociopolitical leaders, eminent people in the field of sports, arts, cinema, ex-military personnel and bureaucrats should come forward in the interest of the country, he added. Kahradi said the ongoing violence in Manipur is not just a conflict between two communities in an area falling on the international border but a matter of "grave concern" for the entire country.
"As the president of the Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, I appeal to people of Manipur to treat all these unfortunate incidents as a bad dream and come out of this situation on their own, and also encourage your neighbors, friends and relatives to do so. All of them are waiting for such a positive initiative. There is no other way out," he said. "I also appeal to eminent persons, spiritual personalities of the country, famous people associated with sports, art, cinema, former military-administrative officers, to come forward and wipe the tears of the affected people of the state," he said.
He also urged them to take out a peace march in the affected areas in order to pacify the people there and assure them that the entire country is standing with them. "These dignitaries should also issue an appeal for peace individually or collectively from their respective places," Kharadi said, adding, "The Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram is confident that such efforts will have amazingly positive impact." (With agency Inputs)
