MP Bimol calls for urgent LS debate on Manipur crisis

Imphal: Inner Manipur MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has submitted a notice of adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, calling for an urgent discussion on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Manipur. The crisis has left over 60,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) facing their third consecutive winter in relief camps.

The notice emphasizes the severe displacement issue, which prevents thousands of citizens from returning to their homes, constituting a significant violation of the Right to Housing. This right is affirmed by the Supreme Court as an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

MP Akoijam attributed the IDP situation to the state's failure to control violence and restore constitutional order, a concern previously highlighted by the Supreme Court at the onset of the crisis. He criticized the collapse of law and order in Manipur, which has resulted in a massive human tragedy, despite the presence of elected governments at both the central and state levels, supported by substantial security forces.

“Rather than ensuring that citizens and their property are protected and defended, the state chose to relocate people from their homes and residential colonies to communally marked spaces,” Akoijam stated. He noted that even after the initial violence, entire residential areas, such as Khumujamba Meitei Leikai in Churachandpur, have been systematically destroyed under the administration's watch.

Akoijam stressed the importance of accountability and responsibility to prevent future incidents, lamenting the lack of a credible inquiry. The Commission of Inquiry, led by Justice Ajai Lamba, was established on June 4, 2023, with a six-month deadline to submit its findings. However, the commission has yet to deliver its report, more than two and a half years later.

“In addition to addressing the plight of IDPs so they can return to and settle in their original homes safely and with dignity, we also need to subject the failures of the executive and the mischief of vested interests to legislative oversight by this august House. This will ensure not only peace and justice in Manipur but also strengthen our constitutional democracy,” Akoijam concluded.