Manipur: A day after the government urged Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma to become a “better politician” and a “good neighbour” instead of spreading hatred through “inappropriate comments”, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday issued a strong rebuttal, saying Manipur has a different history and identity from Mizoram.
In his address at a function marking the construction of infrastructure to shift Assam Rifles from the Langthabal Old Palace complex, Singh asserted, “Manipur is not like Mizoram. We have a written history of 2,000 years. Manipur merged into the Union of India as a unit in 1949. Our borders were not newly created, rather we joined the Union with intact borders.” The remarks were made in response to recent comments by Mizoram CM Lalduhoma, who criticised Singh’s leadership in a national interview.
Singh insisted that the tension and violence in Manipur since May 3 last year was not the result of corruption but the result of the state government’s efforts to protect its indigenous people and address historical grievances. “Naturally, people who once thrived on the drug trade will be angry with the government and turn against me,” he said. Singh also made it clear that his government’s policies, including plans to identify illegal immigrants, scrap the free movement system and implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC), are aimed at protecting Manipur’s land and its people. Referring to the role of Assam Rifles in the region, Singh remarked, “Assam Rifles are here to serve the nation. They are not our enemy. We are all Indian citizens. This gap can be bridged through dialogue between commanders, CSOs and intellectuals. Our common enemy is in foreign territories, not within ours. The paramilitary force can deal with insurgents or illegal activities as they deem fit, but not everyone is an insurgent.”
Responding to public criticism of his role during the ongoing crisis, Singh remarked, “People ask, ‘What is the Chief Minister doing?’ Can the CM go and open fire? The Chief Minister makes policy plans – how to identify illegal immigrants, how to cancel the free movement system and how to implement the NRC. We will not rest until we have completely secured the entire land of Manipur and its indigenous people.”
