Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party had informally advised Naga People’s Front MP Lorho S Pfoze to not speak on the ethnic violence in Manipur during a no-confidence motion in Parliament.
“My friends from the alliance group, particularly from the BJP, they advised, they spoke to me and they said that honourable Home Minister Amit Shah will be speaking very much on Manipur and so it is advisable not to speak,” Pfoze told The Hindu.
The Naga People’s Front is one of the members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
He told the newspaper that he wanted to say that the violence should have been stopped, and that the government is serious about bringing back normalcy and peace.
The violence has largely been committed towards the Kuki-Zo community, who are his constituents, and even the Meiteis living in parts of three other districts that fall in his constituency, he added.
He also said to The Hindu that the only other Lok Sabha MP from Manipur, BJP’s RK Ranjan Singh, representing Inner Manipur, was also advised not to speak on the issue.
Pfoze went on to say: “In fact, because we are the people actually representing our people out there in Manipur, we should be asked to speak. That would have built the confidence in my people because elections are coming and it is needful for our people to know that the government is serious about dealing with the issues confronting Manipur people.”
At least 187 people were killed in the ongoing violence, says government data. According to the Kuki Students Organisation president’s statement to Maktoob, the violence in the northeastern state has resulted in the deaths of at least 135 Kukis, with half a dozen reported cases of rapes against Kuki women. Over 200 Kukis remain missing, and their whereabouts are yet to be known, he said.
Nearly 60,000, mostly Kukis, have been forced to flee their homes.
