For the sake of restoring peace in the adjoining state, the Scheduled Tribe (ST) Morcha of the federally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mizoram has demanded that the President’s Rule be imposed on Manipur, which has been plagued by ethnic violence since May 3rd. The Mizoram BJP ST Morcha’s demand for President’s Rule in BJP-ruled Manipur has exposed the fissures within the saffron party, which has been facing intense criticism from different quarters over its inept response to the crisis that has unfolded in the northeastern state.
The Mizoram BJP ST Morcha has blamed the Manipur government under Chief Minister N Biren Singh for the ongoing ethnic unrest that has killed over a hundred and displaced thousands of people. The Mizoram BJP ST Morcha called upon the Union government to impose the President’s Rule to restore peace in Manipur. The BJP unit placed these demands on June 26th in the capital Aizawl.
In its statement, the Mizoram BJP ST Morcha alleged that over 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic clashes in Manipur and at least 220 churches have been set ablaze by miscreants. It alleged that even after so much bloodshed, arson and displacement, the violence is continuing in Manipur. The unit accused the majority Meitei community of Manipur of still attacking the minority tribals, with many of whom the Mizo tribes share a common lineage.
The BJP outfit said that the ethnic violence in Manipur should be controlled before it escalates into a major communal and religious clash. The clashes with the Kuki, Zomi, Chin and other tribes have sparked a major upheaval in Mizoram. The BJP has reportedly faced a backlash in the Christian tribal-dominated state due to Singh’s alleged nonchalant attitude towards the violence and his government’s visible reluctance to act against those involved in creating trouble.
The Mizoram BJP ST Morcha has plunged into the arena to defend its interests and vote bank. The party faces a strong challenge in the poll-bound state, as the majority of the Christians in Mizoram are sceptical regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist policies. Although the state is ruled by the Mizo National Front (MNF), a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the incidents of violence against the tribals in neighbouring Manipur, especially the attack on the churches reportedly caused agony among several tribal communities.
The demand for President’s Rule in Manipur, coming from the Mizoram BJP ST Morcha, has become an embarrassment for the BJP, which has been defending the government of Singh. When the Opposition, especially the Indian National Congress, has slammed the prime minister for not removing Singh, the demand for President’s Rule from the BJP itself exemplifies that the saffron party won’t be having an easy time ahead.
