'Unfortunate PM treats naked parading of tribal women as law and order problem'

'And (the prime minister did so) without giving any hint of a recognition of the political violence resulting in the ethnic cleansing (of tribals and Kukis) which he simply equates it with atrocities against women in other parts of India.'
'This is not acceptable.'

BJP MLA Paolienlal Haokip from Manipur's Saikot constituency in the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district reacts to Prime Minister Narendra D Modi's public statement on July 20 condemning the gruesome video of tribal women from Manipur being paraded naked by a mob allegedly belonging to the majority Meitei community from the valley in an incident that occurred on May 4 -- just a day after the violence began between the Meiteis and Kukis.

Haokip confirmed that all the BJP MLAs from the hills are contemplating not only resigning as lawmakers but also resign from the BJP even as he expresses his angst over the prime minister's refusal to respond to their written request for a meeting with them to discuss the ethnic strife in the hill state in India's northeast.

"What (law and order) machinery and criminal justice system would carry out a fair investigation when the state (government) is party to the violence?" Haokip asks Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com when asked if the investigation initiated by the state government to act against those responsible for the horrific parading of the tribal women would bear any fruit.

What does the video tell you about the situation of law and order in the state? Who were these people in the mob?

The dastardly incident against three tribal women happened on May 4, but because of the ban on the Internet, which to some extent was lifted partially only recently, these videos have surfaced in the state and on social media.

That is the kind of reprehensible depravity that the majority community (the Meiteis in Manipur are 53 per cent of the population) have been perpetrating on the tribals and Kukis of the hills since May 3.

It is very unfortunate that our own prime minister still in his comments today (July 20) treated it as a law and order -- just a law and order problem -- equating it with atrocities on women in other states.

It is not the same. This (violence against the tribals and Kukis) is part of an ethnic cleansing which has been allowed (by the state government) for these many days since May 3.

And (the prime minister did so) without giving any hint of a recognition of the political violence resulting in the ethnic cleansing (of tribals and Kukis) which he simply equates it with atrocities against women in other parts of India. This is not acceptable.

Home Minister Amit A Shah also visited Manipur for four days in the last week of May and he did suggest measures to bring a sense of normalcy back to Manipur. Why didn't those measures work?

The Kuki community responded to his appeal for maintaining calm for the next 15 days since his visit.

Apparently, his words have no value with the majority (Meitei) community. So they kept on attacking our villages on the fringes and since the attacks (by the Meiteis on Kukis) did not cease then our village volunteers had to defend their villages. Most of these attacks are on the villages that border the Meitei and Kuki community populations.

Unless they come to attack our villages we do not go out of our way to attack anybody. Our people don't go out to attack anybody. They are just building bunkers around their villages to defend their villages.

Violence happens only when the Meitei Leepun, Arambai Tengol (the two organisations belonging to the Meiteis which the Kuki and hill MLAs of Manipur dub as radicals) along with the state forces come to attack our villages.

The government in Manipur belongs to the BJP and 20 of the 60 MLAs are from the hills. Why can't you bring enough pressure on the Union government to take stern action in Manipur?

We have met the Union home minister and we have stressed adequately the need for central intervention. But all the measures that were taken were half-hearted and we have sought an appointment with the prime minister. We have not been responded to till today.

When did you ask for a meeting with the prime minister?

It was as far back as May 28 if I'm not mistaken.

What was Prime Minister Modi's response or the response from his office?

No response at all. Not even a courtesy response. We had sent a written request to him routed through his principal secretary (Pramod Kumar Mishra).

Now it is not about (any political) party and all that (politics) anymore. It is an ethnic separation by the majority community by use of despicable violence.

Unless the safety of our people is secured through a totally separate administrative setup, then there's no chance of peace returning to Manipur.

Would you believe that the violence increased after the MLAs from the Manipur hills demanded a separate administration for the hills?

The violence is sporadic in the sense it is only when the Meiteis attack our villages that the violence happens. So there's no remarkable increase after the demand for separation and all that.

If you look at all the deaths that happened of the Meitei people they were in the foothills near the villages of the Kuki people. They (the Meiteis) died because of the retaliatory fire they received from the (Kuki) village volunteers defending their villages.

And the retaliatory fire by Kuki volunteers would be from arms and ammunitions looted from the state government's armouries?

Arms looted by the state government armoury are utilised by the Meiteis. It is not the Kukis...

There's the counter allegation also from the Meiteis...

What allegation?

That the tribals too have looted arms and ammunitions from the state police and armouries; isn't that the biggest concern right now in Manipur that both the sides are armed with sophisticated weapons?

Some arms might have been looted in the hills also (by the Kukis); that will be in few hundreds, but the arms looted in the valley (by the Meiteis) are in thousands.

I've been speaking to several BJP MLAs from Manipur, especially from the hills and some of them are saying that they are planning to resign en masse as MLAs as well as from the BJP.

That is on the cards. That consideration is on the table.

How long will you wait before you take this action and how will it help to improve the situation in Manipur?

We are waiting for the central government to show its commitment. There is a resumption of political dialogue with the SoO (Suspension of Operations, a tripartite agreement signed between the Union government, government of Manipur and representative of Kuki militants) groups on the 26th of this month (July). We'll see the outcome of that deliberation and thereafter take a decision.

Do you see any hope for Manipur for both the communities staying together in the future?

None.

Could you tell us what happened to these three women who are in the video? What is their condition now? How are they coping with their trauma?

They raped the women and let them go.

The state government has initiated an investigation to bring the culprits to book. Would this investigation be fair?

What (law and order) machinery and criminal justice system would carry out a fair investigation when the state (government) is party to the violence?

Don't you understand that you are being childish when you ask such questions!