Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, reached Manipur on Monday and visited reliefs camp in Jibram and Churachandpur districts to interact with people displaced by the ethnic violence between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos, which began on May 3 last year.This is Gandhi’s first visit to the strife-torn state since being elected as the Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli in the recent general election. He is also scheduled to meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey at the Raj Bhavan at 6 pm.
After the ethnic violence broke out in the state, Rahul Gandhi previously made two visits to the region. During the recent Parliament session, opposition INDIA bloc members interrupted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on July 2, chanting ‘Justice for Manipur.’
Similar scenes occurred in the Rajya Sabha during the Prime Minister’s reply to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address.In his speech, the Prime Minister mentioned efforts to bring peace to Manipur, with 11,000 FIRs filed and 500 arrests made. He noted that incidents of violence are decreasing, indicating potential for peace.Violence erupted in Jiribam on June 6 after a Meitei farmer, Soibam Sarat Singh, was found dead with injuries on his neck. The situation according to officials had further escalated after claims that a person from the Kuki-Zo community had gone missing.
Jiribam lies along Manipur’s border with Assam, and the NH-37 passes through the district, making it critical for allowing essential supplies to reach the rest of the state.
Before his visit to Manipur, Rahul Gandhi met flood affected victims in Silchar, Assam. He urged the Centre to extend all possible help and support to the state immediately. Around 22.70 lakh people in 28 districts of Assam have been affected by the floods, with 78 people killed due to floods, landslides, and storms this year.
