This is an Indian challenge, says Congress leader after envoy says US ready to mediate in Manipur
After Eric Garcetti condemned the Manipur violence, adding that he was ready “to assist in any way” if asked, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday said External Affairs Minister Jaishankar should tell the US Ambassador to India that he had no role to play in the Northeast state and the onus was on the Union and the state governments to restore normalcy.
“Will the External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar summon the US Ambassador and tell him in no uncertain terms that the USA has no role whatsoever to play in Manipur? The responsibility for bringing back peace and harmony in Manipur is that of the Union Govt, the state govt, the civil society and political parties in the state, especially,” Jairam Ramesh tweeted on Friday.
Adding that it was India’s internal problem, which has to be handled and resolved sensitively, the Congress leader, while questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tweeted further, “The Prime Minister is silent and the Home Minister has been ineffective. That does not mean that there is any opening for any other country. This is an Indian challenge which we as Indians have to address sensitively and resolutely.”
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Thursday, Garcetti said, “There has been so much progress” in the Northeast region, and it’s not possible without peace.”
To a question on the ethnic violence in the Northeast state, which has claimed several lives and left scores more displaced, the US envoy said his country was ready “to assist in any way” if asked in dealing with the situation in Manipur.
However, he was quick to add that Manipur was an “Indian matter” and the “US prays for peace in the region as it can bring more collaboration, more projects, and more investment if peace is in place”.
Meanwhile, reacting to Garcetti’s comment at a media briefing on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said foreign diplomats do not usually comment on internal developments in India.
“I haven’t seen those comments by the US Ambassador, and if he has made them, we’ll see. I haven’t had a chance to see, maybe it just happened. I think, you know...we would also (love to) see peace there, and I think that our agencies and our security forces are working, and our local government are working on it. I’m not sure foreign diplomats would usually comment on internal developments in India, but I won’t like to make a comment without seeing exactly what is being said,” Bagchi said.
The violence in Manipur erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on 3 May in protest against the proposed inclusion of people belonging to the Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
While the violence has left more than 130 people dead, many more have shifted to relief camps.