Manipur issue may create security problems for country: Adhir Chowdhury

Imphal: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday asserted that if the Manipur ethnic conflict is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the country.

A delegation of opposition INDIA bloc alliance MPs called on Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum on their observations after visiting the northeastern state.

Addressing reporters outside Raj Bhavan after the meeting, the Congress leader said, "The governor heard our observations and agreed to those. She expressed sorrow over the incidents of violence and suggested that an all-party delegation should visit Manipur to talk to people to remove mistrust among communities." Chowdhury said that the visiting MPs will present their observations on Manipur in Parliament.

"We have requested a discussion on Manipur in Parliament as the situation is deteriorating every day," he said.

The opposition delegation of 21 MPs arrived in Manipur on Saturday to assess the ground situation and meet victims of the three-month ethnic riots in the state.

On the first day of their two-day whirlwind tour, they visited several relief camps in Imphal, Moirang in Bishnupur district and Churachandpur and met victims of ethnic clashes.

Besides Chowdhury and Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, the delegation includes TMC's Sushmita Dev, JMM's Mahua Maji, DMK's Kanimozhi, Jayant Chaudhary of RLD, Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD, N K Premachandran of RSP, JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Aneel Prasad Hegde (JD-U), CPI's P Sandosh Kumar and CPI(M)'s A A Rahim among others.

Violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring hundreds.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.