Editor's Pick: Opposition delegation of the INDIA combine visits Manipur

A delegation of 21 parliamentarians from the INDIA coalition landed in Imphal on the morning of July 29 for a two-day visit. Their tour comes before an impending debate on the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the Manipur strife in Parliament. The delegation that visited the relief camps in Churachandpur district and are also scheduled to visit Bishnupur, Kangpokpi and other troubled areas. It will also be meeting Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey before returning to Delhi. The members of the delegation who spoke to The Hindu accused the State administration of letting the conflict get to a point of no return. Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha and prime mover of the no-confidence motion, Gaurav Gogoi, said, “It was a very painful day for me, to see such a beautiful State split asunder. It is clear that the State administration has no clear road map to restore peace or even to rehabilitate those who have been languishing in the refugee camps for nearly three months.” Three out of the four women in the delegation — Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev, DMK’s K. Kanimozhi and Congress’s Phulo Devi Netam — met one of the victims who was paraded naked and molested by a mob on May 4. The video of the incident shook the country and flagged the violence against women in the conflict-torn State. RJD MP Manoj K. Jha said both the Central and State governments had messed up the situation. “There is so much bitterness between the two communities. The government itself supplied the poison which has spread across the State and is threatening to spill over across its boundaries to other north-eastern States.” The ruling BJP’s response to the Opposition visit came from Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, who hit out at the delegation calling the visit a mere “show-off”. He reiterated the government narrative that the Opposition parties are turning a blind eye to the cases of atrocities against women in States ruled by them. While the visit of the delegation does signify that the coalition is working toward its duties as the principal Opposition to the ruling NDA which at the State and Central level has maintained an unrelenting silence on what it plans to do to mitigate the situation in Manipur, the continuing impasse and inability to discuss the issue in Parliament is lamentable. As this editorial in The Hindu points out, the abhorrent violence, including repeated incidents of sexual violence against tribal women in the State, should have brought the government and the Opposition together; instead, they are unable to even debate the issue. The Opposition has insisted that any discussion must begin with a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would not commit to that. Home Minister Amit Shah said the government was willing to discuss the issue and sought the cooperation of the Opposition, which saw the outreach as an attempt to shield Mr. Modi. Meanwhile, the BJP’s response to the horror in Manipur has been to equate it with crimes in Congress-ruled States, which is difficult to sustain. The turmoil in Manipur, for both moral and strategic reasons, is a threat to the country’s security, integrity, and social harmony; one that calls for national unity. It is time the Prime Minister called for healing in Manipur, reassured the scared victims of the State and set an example by holding the perpetrators accountable. And there is no better place than Parliament to make it all clear to the country and the world. The Hindu Explains Explained | Are human challenge studies effective? Explained | Why has Israel plunged into a crisis? The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz As per official records till 2022, about how many nurses or nursing personnel are registered in India? 18 lakh 33 lakh 41 lakh 24 lakh To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 30 July 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( Opposition delegation of the INDIA combine visits Manipur A [delegation of 21 parliamentarians]( from the [INDIA coalition]( landed in Imphal on the morning of July 29 for a two-day visit. Their tour comes before an impending debate on the [no-confidence motion]( moved by the Opposition to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the Manipur strife in Parliament. The delegation that visited the relief camps in Churachandpur district and are also scheduled to visit Bishnupur, Kangpokpi and other troubled areas. It will also be meeting Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey before returning to Delhi. The members of the delegation who spoke to The Hindu accused the State administration of letting the conflict get to a point of no return. Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha and prime mover of the no-confidence motion, Gaurav Gogoi, said, “It was a very painful day for me, to see such a beautiful State split asunder. It is clear that the State administration has no clear road map to restore peace or even to rehabilitate those who have been languishing in the refugee camps for nearly three months.” Three out of the four women in the delegation — Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev, DMK’s K. Kanimozhi and Congress’s Phulo Devi Netam — met one of the victims who was paraded naked and molested by a mob on May 4. The video of the incident shook the country and flagged the violence against women in the conflict-torn State. RJD MP Manoj K. Jha said both the Central and State governments had messed up the situation. “There is so much bitterness between the two communities. The government itself supplied the poison which has spread across the State and is threatening to spill over across its boundaries to other north-eastern States.” The ruling BJP’s response to the Opposition visit came from Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, who hit out at the delegation calling the visit a mere “show-off”. He reiterated the government narrative that the Opposition parties are turning a blind eye to the cases of atrocities against women in States ruled by them. While the visit of the delegation does signify that the coalition is working toward its duties as the principal Opposition to the ruling NDA which at the State and Central level has maintained an unrelenting silence on what it plans to do to mitigate the situation in Manipur, the continuing impasse and inability to discuss the issue in Parliament is lamentable. As [this editorial]( in The Hindu points out, the abhorrent violence, including repeated incidents of sexual violence against tribal women in the State, should have brought the government and the Opposition together; instead, they are unable to even debate the issue. The Opposition has insisted that any discussion must begin with a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who would not commit to that. Home Minister Amit Shah said the government was willing to discuss the issue and sought the cooperation of the Opposition, which saw the outreach as an attempt to shield Mr. Modi. Meanwhile, the BJP’s response to the horror in Manipur has been to equate it with crimes in Congress-ruled States, which is difficult to sustain. The turmoil in Manipur, for both moral and strategic reasons, is a threat to the country’s security, integrity, and social harmony; one that calls for national unity. It is time the Prime Minister called for healing in Manipur, reassured the scared victims of the State and set an example by holding the perpetrators accountable. And there is no better place than Parliament to make it all clear to the country and the world. The Hindu Explains [Arrow][Explained | Are human challenge studies effective?]( [Arrow][Explained | Why has Israel plunged into a crisis?]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz As per official records till 2022, about how many nurses or nursing personnel are registered in India? - 18 lakh - 33 lakh - 41 lakh - 24 lakh To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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