AIZAWL: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has weighed in on the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, stating that it is not politically orchestrated.
Defence Minister Singh, while kicking off his campaign trail for the upcoming assembly polls in Mizoram’s Tipa on Wednesday, expressed his belief that the only way to restore peace to Manipur is through dialogue between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
“The unfortunate turmoil in Manipur has been a heart-wrenching episode for us. I honestly believe that the situation in Manipur is not orchestrated by any political party. We need to end violence in the state and bring back peace, and for that to happen both the communities need to find a solution through dialogue. There is a need to end the trust deficit between them,” he said in his address.
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Singh also took the opportunity to criticize the Congress party, accusing them of attempting to play politics with the situation. “Not just Mizoram, I believe the entire nation needs to keep Congress and their brand of negative and destructive politics away,” he said.
Rajnath Singh highlighted the significant improvements in the region’s peace and stability over the past nine years, citing the eradication of insurgency and a reduction in violence in the Northeast. He attributed this progress to the development initiatives undertaken by the Central government.
“For over 20 years I have extensively travelled across Mizoram and the Northeast and have observed the problem of connectivity from very close quarters. There were no direct routes to reach capital of each state in the Northeast. but that changed after 2014 as today there are 17 airports and 18 waterways operating in the region,” he said, adding that the number of highways too have increased to 15,735 km from 8,480 km in 2014.
The Defence Minister discussed the Act East Policy and its relevance to Mizoram, stating that the state is poised for significant change as an entry point for the country in strengthening ties with East Asian countries. He also mentioned the Indo-Thailand highway as a transformative project for the region.
Regarding education and healthcare, Singh outlined the developmental projects undertaken by the Centre to enhance these sectors in Mizoram.
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The BJP leader promised constructive changes if brought to power, including making Mizoram a drug-free state and introducing the Queen Ropuiliani Women Empowerment Scheme, offering financial assistance to every girl child.
He also pledged to “expose” the corruption of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and launch the LOTUS (Livelihood Opportunity Transformation and Upliftment Scheme) to improve the quality of life and livelihoods.
Later in the day, Rajnath Singh addressed a public rally in Mamit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was initially scheduled to speak on October 30, but the event was canceled without disclosing the exact reason for the cancellation.
Later in the day, the Defence Minister also addressed a public rally in Mamit, where Prime Minster Narendra Modi was scheduled to address a meeting on October 30, but he pulled out without disclosing any precise reason for the cancellation.
