All secular and democratic forces should demand peace and normalcy in Manipur,” Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted
Published Date – 23rd Sat 22 Jul 06:27pm
Trivandrum: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday called the violence in Manipur “appalling” and claimed that the ongoing clashes in the northeastern state were caused by “a nefarious agenda that fuels tensions in communities”. He appealed through social media that all secular and democratic forces should demand peace and normalcy in Manipur.
“The horrific violence in #Manipur has shattered the conscience of every Indian. The ongoing conflict in the state is caused by an evil agenda that fuels tensions in the community. All secular and democratic forces should demand peace and normalcy in Manipur,” he tweeted.
In a detailed Facebook post, the CPI(M) veteran said the racial violence in Manipur, which has been going on for more than two months, can only be viewed with concern.
This state, he said, continues to present horrific images that haunt the human consciousness, adding that women belonging to the Kuki community are being hunted down by mobs in the most despicable and cruel ways.
CPI (M) politburo member Vijayan accused Manipur state of deliberately targeting the Christian community, where he said churches in tribal communities had been widely attacked and destroyed.
He accused Sanger Parrival of having an agenda to turn the country into a riot zone for the sake of power politics and urged the country’s secular society to recognize this.
He said the silence of the BJP-led coalition government on the issue and the Sanger Pariwal agenda behind the violence had been strongly criticized in the country.
The Chief Minister added that it is the responsibility of the people who believe in democratic principles to resist and thwart such deliberate attempts to increase the polarization of the community.
More than 160 people have died and many more have been injured since racial violence erupted in the hills of Manipur state on May 3, when a “tribal solidarity march” was organized in the hills to protest the majority Metai community’s claim for Scheduled Tribal (ST) status.
The Metai make up about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mainly in the Imphal Valley, while tribes including the Nagas and Kukis make up 40 percent and live mainly in the state’s hills.
