PM normalising abnormal state : Bimol Akoijam

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 3 : Hot on the heels of his fiery speech in Parliament, Inner Manipur MP Dr Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of normalising the abnormal situation in the State.
Addressing a press briefing at his residence at Keishamthong today, Bimol said that the Prime Minister spoke about Manipur in Rajya Sabha today after remaining silent for months but his statement contradicts the ground reality of the State.
It is the first time that the Prime Minister spoke about Manipur in Parliament properly but his statement is akin to rubbing salt on the wounds of the  people, he said.
The MP also said that the speech of the Prime Minister doesn't reflect any sincerity and  commitment of the Government to resolve the crisis in the State.
It was a mere mention of Manipur, he said referring to the statement of the Prime Minister.
Saying that violence is not an event but a process, he asked how the Prime Minister can say the situation in Manipur is improving when thousands of people are still languishing in relief camps.
Bimol also said that he was excited at first about the Prime Minister breaking his silence on the Manipur issue but his statement turned out to be nothing short of a disappointment to the people.
The MP further said that the anticipated statement of the Prime Minister was nothing different from what the State Government has been saying all these months  and it was a big disappointment.
It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister tried to mislead the international community by saying that the situation in Manipur is improving on account of cases of violence declining and reopening of schools and colleges, he said and accused the Prime Minister of scheming to normalise the abnormal situation in Manipur.
The situation in Manipur is far from normal, Bimol asserted.
The MP also said that it would be very wrong for the Prime Minister to consider the situation in Manipur as normal without understanding the woes and sufferings of the displaced people in relief camps.
"How can the situation in Manipur be normal when Meeteis are unable to go beyond Kanglatongbi and the Kukis are not able to return to Imphal," he asked.
Can the Meetei medical students resume their studies at Churachandpur Medical College or the Kuki students enrolled at  Manipur University return to their classes, he further asked.
Stating that the situation in Manipur is still chaotic, Bimol asked from which angle is the situation in Manipur normal.
Instead of lying, the Prime Minister should apologise to the people of Manipur, he said and added that the people will surely forgive him and be glad if the Prime Minister apologises for the mishandling of Manipur crisis honestly and show commitment to restore normalcy in the State.
On appointing Kuldiep Singh as the Security Advisor, Bimol said that the appointment order was issued in the name of Governor under Article 155 and not in the name of the President.
He also stated that both the Centre and the State Government can impose AFSPA in Manipur.
Every de facto decision on critical issues is taken by the Centre and the State Government only issued orders, Bimol claimed and added that the Centre has been using the State Government like a rubber stamp.
He further stated that the transfer of power of the Unified Command from the Chief Minister to the Security Advisory was also done in the name of the Governor after taking a decision by the State Cabinet.
Saying that the State Government is unable to exercise its autonomy guaranteed by the Constitution of India, Bimol stated  that the State Government has only been doing what the Central leaders tell them to do and it is a clear sign of violating the Constitutional norms.
Why is the Chief Minister unable to challenge their Central leadership in the interest of the people when he is also the leader of an elected Government, he asked.
Saying that the State Government needs to wake up and walk the talk, the MP added that whatever he said on the floor of the Lok Sabha was the voice of the people.
"I'm a simple teacher and have knocked the door of the Parliament," the MP maintained.
On not speaking about the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement, the MP said that matters relating to SoO and deforestation have to be addressed by the Government.