Manipur Alliance to Demand Peace Restoration in Delhi Protest

Imphal, Manipur: A 10-party political alliance, INDIA bloc, will stage a sit-in demonstration in New Delhi on Monday demanding the restoration of peace and normalcy in Manipur. The protest, planned for Jantar Mantar, is a direct response to the ongoing 19-month-long ethnic conflict in the northeastern state.

INDIA bloc Manipur leaders, including Congress state unit Vice President Hareshwar Goswami, departed for the national capital on Sunday. The bloc accuses both the central and state governments of inaction in addressing the crisis.

"The protest is organised in view of the 19-month-long ethnic strife in Manipur, with the aim of calling for urgent intervention and the restoration of peace and normalcy in the state," said Congress' Manipur President Keisham Meghachandra Singh.

This demonstration follows a December 6th appeal by the INDIA bloc to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur or engage in dialogue with state political parties in New Delhi. The bloc submitted a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) emphasizing the urgent need for his intervention to resolve the conflict. The state Congress chief urged the Prime Minister to call political leaders from the state if he cannot visit Manipur to discuss the serious situation.

Meghachandra Singh highlighted the severe impact of the violence, stating that over 100,000 people have been displaced, with hundreds killed and injured. The conflict has also caused significant property damage and instilled fear and helplessness among the residents of Manipur.

The INDIA bloc leaders were denied permission to hold the sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar on December 6th. "It is very unfortunate that we can’t practise our right to protest unprecedented turmoil... Our movement will not stop. We will continue to protest in different forms," Singh asserted.

Adding to the pressure for a resolution, approximately 20 civil society organizations and student bodies from Imphal Valley announced plans to hold a rally in Delhi on December 22nd.