IMPHAL, Aug 20: The government must ensure disarmament to
start the talks with the warring Kuki and Meitei communities
for resolving the crisis in Manipur, CPI(M) general secretary
Sitaram Yechury said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at the Manipur Press Club, Yechury said
the ”double engine” government of the BJP should double its
efforts in resolving the conflict, which has been going on for
over three months.
”There has to be some sort of dialogue and discussion, and that
is where the governments — both Centre and state — have the
primary responsibility. If it’s a double-engine government, then
please make double-energy efforts to try and bring everybody
together to a table. We have done this in the past. It is the only
way all problems that India has faced in last 75 years have been
resolved,” he said.
”Disarmament should be a pre-condition for the talks. Talks
have to begin with ceasefire, and then it should proceed on the
issues,” he added.
Yechury also urged the Centre to send a parliamentary
delegation to the state.
The governments at the Centre and in the state are either
incompetent or complacent, he alleged, pointing to the
continuing violence since May 3.
”We have told the Centre repeatedly — send a delegation of all
political parties in Parliament led by Union Home Minister Amit
Shah to Manipur,” he said, also urging the government to hold
meetings with opposition parties in the state.
Yechury alleged that there were no basic amenities at the relief
camps where the people affected by the violence were staying.
”We appealed to Governor Anusuiya Uikey to interfere for
ensuring the amenities,” he said.
Yechury led a four-member delegation of his party to the state
on a three-day visit, which began on Friday.
Besides meeting the governor, members of the delegation also
visited relief camps in Churachandpur and Moirang.
Over 160 people have been killed in the ethnic clashes that
broke out in the state in May. (PTI)
