Manipur Crisis Intensifies Despite All The Meetings Of The Home Minister

By Sushil Kutty

Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi being kept in the dark on the Manipur killings? As it is, his countrymen have no idea of whether he reads newspapers. If he had, he would have squared off with at least one press conference in the nine barren years of mishandling power. The ‘godi media’ that treat Modi like he has miraculous powers, have been sketchy about covering happenings in Manipur while being busy with vacuous Hindu-Muslim debates.

There hasn’t been a single serious eye-opening programme on the Modi government making a mess of Manipur. The hapless people are helpless. The Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy won’t open his mouth to tell his minions in Delhi and Manipur to get off their behinds and put the state back on its wheels. What is stopping this Prime Minister from acting on the mandate given to him?

It is like paralysis, as if he suffers from bouts of mysterious ‘tongue-tied’. What sort of man is this? Seriously. It is no longer funny. It is a pity there is nobody more powerful than him in this country of 1.40 billion. Somebody who can stand him up and get him to do his sworn duty. Cannot the Supreme Court shake him out of his stupor?

Every single passing day, there are people getting murdered and homes are being torched. Even that of a Modi minister. The government in Manipur and the government at the Centre haven’t a shred of control. It must be water not blood in the veins of the Modi government. And this is what is making the blood boil of common citizens of not just Manipur but of those everywhere in India.

There have been random unconfirmed reports of Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for snap general elections. Now, wouldn’t that be a blessing in disguise? It would put the smiles back on the faces of the unhappy ladies and gents of India who need some ‘uplift’ to their down in the dumps existence – Manipur is a glaring example of nine grinding years of Modi rule!

People are reacting – finally. Not the Great Unwashed, who Prime Minister Narendra Modi treats them like they don’t have self-respect and pride. Like all that they deserve is a monthly ration of 35 kilos of food-grains and a litre of cooking oil – 80 crore beneficiaries fed to vote for Modi so that he gets his one-two and three terms in a row.

Enough is enough. The Prime Minister’s abuse of the human sentiments of the hoi polloi should be challenged and he should admit his government has failed to provide an honest day’s work to the hungry millions to buy their own bread and butter. Why, even after 75 years of independence, should the vast majority live on handouts?

Is the Prime Minister of India unemployed? Does he have a job, or is he slacking on his job? His silence itself is an indictment that his government messed up Manipur. Now, civil society has woken up to the dangers of Modi at the helm of a stalled ship. Finally, they see the “ethnic violence in Manipur” and have asked the Prime Minister to break his “deafening silence”.

It is not going to make a difference but at least the 550 have tried. Then again, what makes people think Prime Minister Narendra Modi will wake up to his duties is what makes other people wonder. Urging the Prime Minister to do his work is a democratic way. It shows that Indians respect the rule of law.  Otherwise, Modi rule from its inception nine years ago had given people chances galore to fly off their handles.

Consecutive victories in 2014 and 2019 appear to have given a misconceived notion that he has the carte blanche to let down the electorate. The people of Manipur did not participate in the festival of democracy, as elections are called by politicians, to be killed and their homes burned. In any of the developed countries, a state burning and citizens getting killed in the streets and inside their burning homes would have led to regime change.

The head of state would have resigned out of sheer guilt and shame. But Manipur is burning and the BJP is least concerned. It’s like cooking fires are burning in the kitchens of Manipur and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government are waiting for a sumptuous feast!

Reports speak of 50,000 people in more than 300 refugee camps. Lakhs remained displaced and homeless when the Prime Minister inaugurated the New Parliament and accepted the Sengol as a symbol of his God-given right to rule a billion-plus Indians. From what is happening in Manipur, it does not look like Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee could teach Raj Dharma to a man who didn’t want to be taught. (IPA Service)

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