Imphal (Manipur) [India], January 1 : Chief Minister N Biren Singh hit back at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur and accused the Congress of "playing politics over it all the time" instead of focusing on resolving the state's core issues.
Singh alleged that the Congress party's past actions had created the current turmoil in the state. In a post on X, he pointed out the repeated settlement of Burmese refugees in Manipur and the signing of the SoO (Suspended Operations) Agreement with Myanmar-based militants, which was led by former Home Minister P Chidambaram.
"Everyone, including yourself, is aware that Manipur is in turmoil today because of the past sins committed by the Congress, such as the repeated settlement of Burmese refugees in Manipur and the signing of the SoO Agreement with Myanmar-based militants in the state, spearheaded by @PChidambaram_IN during his tenure as the Home Minister of India," he wrote on X.
Singh said that, as a Chief Minister, his apology was an appeal to the people to forgive and forget what had happened.
"The apology I extended today was a sincere act of expressing my grief for the people who have been left displaced and become homeless. As a Chief Minister, it was an appeal to forgive and forget what had happened. However, you brought politics into it," the Chief Minister said.
He further recalled the Naga-Kuki clashes in Manipur between 1992 and 1997, saying this period marked one of the bloodiest ethnic conflicts in northeast India, deeply affecting relations between the Naga and Kuki communities in Manipur.
"The Naga-Kuki clashes in Manipur resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,300 people and the displacement of thousands more. The violence persisted for several years, with periodic escalations occurring between 1992 and 1997, though the most intense period of conflict was in 1992-1993. The clashes began in 1992 and continued at varying intensities for around five years (1992-1997)," he said.
"This period marked one of the bloodiest ethnic conflicts in northeast India, deeply affecting relations between the Naga and Kuki communities in Manipur," CM Singh added.
The Chief Minister targeted the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, who was in power from 1991 to 1996, for not visiting the state during the conflicts and not offering an apology.
"Did PV Narasimha Rao, who served as the Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996 and was the President of the Indian National Congress during this time, come to Manipur to extend an apology? The Kuki-Paite clashes claimed 350 lives in the state. During most of the Kuki-Paite clashes (1997-1998), IK Gujral was the Prime Minister of India. Did he visit Manipur and say sorry to the people?" he said.
"Instead of putting efforts to solve the core issues in Manipur, why is the @INCIndia
playing politics over it all the time?" CM Singh added.
This comes after Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday hit out at PM Modi after Biren Singh apologized for the ongoing 'crisis' in the state, which has been escalating since May 2023.
Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader questioned why the PM has not spoken on the Manipur issue yet.
"It has taken 19 months for the CM to say what he has said today, and it is not enough. The real issue is not what the CM says or does not say. The real issue is why, for 19 months, the PM has not spoken; he has travelled all over the country, but he has not found time to go to Manipur. The issue is not what this puppet CM says or does not say; the issue is why the PM is refusing to visit the state of Manipur and refusing to reach out to different communities of Manipur," the Congress leader said.
He further termed it as a failure of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, calling their refusal to go to Manipur an insult to the people.
"It is the failure of the PM and the man to whom he has outsourced Manipur, the Union Home Minister. The PM's continued refusal to go to Manipur is an insult to the people of Manipur," he added.
"The Prime Minister should go to Manipur and say the same thing that the CM said today. The people of Manipur are asking why the PM is neglecting us," Ramesh said.
Earlier today, apologising for the ongoing crisis in the state, in which around 200 people have died and many have left their homes, Singh asked people to "forget the past" and start a new life for a peaceful and prosperous Manipur.
Reflecting on the crisis, the Manipur CM said, "This entire year has been very unfortunate. I feel regret, and I want to say sorry to the people of the state for what is happening till today, since last May 3.
"Many people lost their loved ones. Many people left their homes. I really feel regret. I would like to apologise," he added.
"Now, I hope after seeing the last 3-4 months' progress towards peace, I hope that with the New Year 2025, normalcy and peace will be restored in the state. I want to appeal to all the communities of the state that whatever happened has happened. We now have to forget past mistakes and have to start a new life. A peaceful Manipur, a prosperous Manipur--we should all live together," he said.
"Till now, altogether roughly 200 people have died, and around 12,247 FIRs were registered, and 625 accused were arrested, and around 5,600 arms and weapons were included, and around 35,000 ammunitions were recovered. Good progress is there in tackling the issues. The central government has provided enough security personnel and enough funds to help the displaced families and enough funds to construct new houses for the displaced persons," the Manipur CM stated.
Notably, the violence in Manipur between the Meitei and the Kuki communities erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2023, following the Manipur High Court order directing the state to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.