President's rule no solution, need 'honest political will' for peace in Manipur: Irom Sharmila

Kolkata: Rights activist Irom Sharmila on Friday claimed that the imposition of the President's rule in Manipur is "not a solution" but merely a way to "evade democratic accountability" for the ongoing ethnic violence in the state.

In a telephonic interview with PTI, Sharmila emphasised the need for "honest political will" to restore peace in the strife-torn northeastern state and fresh elections "will not bring real change".

Instead, Sharmila suggested that the “titular king of Manipur be invited to serve as a symbol of unity with powers akin to those of the current governor".

"The Presidential rule is not the solution. Manipuris have never wanted this. But since it is now the reality, let the Centre prioritise the restoration of the status quo ante for the internally displaced. Let Prime Minister Narendra Modi bring investments from industrialists' friends to provide at least basic infrastructure and development. The Presidential rule, when imposed in the past, was merely another way to avoid democratic accountability," Sharmila told PTI.

To address the ongoing turmoil, she proposed the formation of three intra-state mini-assemblies representing the Meitei, Naga, and Kuki communities, arguing that such a model would ensure fair representation and direct funding for all ethnic groups.

"Another election will not bring real change. Instead, to restore faith and trust, the titular king of Manipur should be invited to become the symbol of unity again with powers similar to the current governor. Then, with the unity of the state guaranteed, three intra-state mini-assemblies should be set up to provide representation for the three aggrieved groups - the Meitei, the Nagas, and the Kukis. This would also provide direct funding for the three groups," she said.

The values, principles and practices of different ethnic groups must be respected, she said.

"India is known for its diversity, and the Centre must recognise and embrace it in Manipur as well," Sharmila claimed.

She questioned whether the Centre would have remained silent had similar ethnic violence occurred in major states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, or Madhya Pradesh.

"Manipur has been burning for the last two years, and the Centre is just a spectator. Can you imagine such a situation persisting for months in cities like Mumbai or Delhi? Just because Manipur is located at the far end of the country, no one is bothered about the northeast. In the name of fighting insurgency, crores of rupees are wasted, which could have been used for the development of the region," she claimed.

President’s rule was imposed in Manipur, and the assembly was put under suspended animation on Thursday evening, days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from the post, leading to political uncertainty in the state.

The decision came as the BJP "failed" to build a consensus on a chief ministerial candidate despite several rounds of discussions between its northeast in-charge Sambit Patra and legislators.

Singh, who was heading the BJP government in Manipur, resigned as chief minister on February 9 after nearly 21 months of ethnic violence that has claimed over 250 lives so far.

The Manipur assembly has tenure till 2027.

Sharmila, who had earlier demanded the resignation of Singh over his handling of the crisis, welcomed his exit and said it should have happened long ago.

Sharmila also claimed, "The approach of the Centre is not right. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting every state and several countries, but he has not gone to Manipur. He is the democratically elected leader of the country. It has been nearly two years since the violence started, yet he has not visited. He wouldn’t have taken the same approach if a similar situation had happened in a mainland state of the country." She asserted that a direct intervention from the prime minister would have helped resolve the crisis long back.

"Just like the state government, the Centre too can’t evade responsibilities,” she said.

Sharmila criticised Singh and called his tenure as the chief minister a "complete failure".

She stressed that the ongoing ethnic violence requires immediate and decisive action.

"The wrong policies of the state government and the Centre’s silence have pushed Manipur into this unprecedented crisis. N Biren Singh should have stepped down long ago for failing to restore peace since May 2023. It is already too late," she alleged.

Sharmila began her hunger strike in 2000 after security forces allegedly killed 10 civilians at a bus stop in Malom near Imphal. She continued her peaceful resistance against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for 16 years, gaining widespread recognition.

However, despite her prolonged struggle, the law was not repealed. She ended her hunger strike in 2016.

She subsequently married in 2017 after miserably failing to make a mark in the assembly elections and is now settled in south India with her family, including her two daughters.