Express News Service
GUWAHATI: Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting ethnic violence-hit Manipur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the former is more interested in Israel than the northeastern state.
“Some months ago, I went to Manipur and I could not believe what I saw…People have been murdered, women molested, babies killed but the PM does not find it important to travel there. It amazes me that the PM and the Government of India are interested in what is happening in Israel but not Manipur,” Gandhi told a gathering in Mizoram capital Aizawl after taking part in a “padayatra”.
The landlocked state, which has 40 Assembly seats, is going to election on November 7. “I simply cannot understand why the PM has not visited Manipur. It is something to be ashamed of that the leader of our Union has not travelled to Manipur after what happened there,” Gandhi said.
Over 12,000 Kukis from Manipur have been taking shelter in Mizoram since fleeing the ethnic violence. Mizo, Kuki, Zomi, Hmar, Chin (Myanmar) and Kuki-Chin (Bangladesh) tribals are ethnic cousins, belonging to Zo community, and they share the same ancestry, culture and tradition.
The Manipur violence is an emotive issue for the Zo tribals and therefore, Gandhi’s attack of Modi on the Manipur issue assumes significance in the poll-bound Mizoram.
Alleging that the BJP is carrying out an oppression on the people of India, he said the violence in Manipur was just a “symptom” of the problem. He said the same problem could be seen in a smaller forms in many parts of the country where minority communities, tribals and Dalits were feeling uncomfortable.
“There is an oppression being carried out on the people of India,” the former Congress president alleged.
Gandhi also said that the idea of India is under attack by the saffron party, which targets different communities, religions and languages.
“The idea of India that respects each other, is tolerant, learns from other ideas, religions and languages and that loves itself as a whole…That is the idea of India which is under attack by the BJP. They spread hatred and violence in the country. They spread arrogance, lack of understanding and this is completely against the idea of India,” he said.
He slammed the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) for its alliance with the BJP, stating that while the saffron party “attacks your culture, religion and tradition, the MNF supports them in Delhi.”
Gandhi also attacked Mizoram’s government on issues including drugs, unemployment and underdevelopment.
“I would like you to consider what the government has done over the last five years. Drugs are spreading rampantly across the future generation,” he said.
He added that a person, who worked with him and runs an NGO that fights the drug menace, told him that unemployment is the main reason behind the drug problem in Mizoram.
“Over the last five years, the MNF government created only 2,000 jobs. Your infrastructure, roads are in a shambles and they are destroying the economic future of the state,” Gandhi said.
He claimed that the Congress always has a good record of governance and development and that the Congress-ruled states have a vision and concept of development.
“We will defend your culture, religion and tradition…because if Mizo culture, tradition and language is attacked and destroyed, then India is attacked and destroyed. We love your diversity, perspective and way of looking at the world and at life. This is our most valuable asset, as it is the heart of Mizoram,” he said.
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AIZAWAL: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was more concerned about happenings in Israel than in Manipur, which has been riven by an ethnic conflict since May this year.
Addressing a rally near Raj Bhavan here after undertaking a 2-km-long padayatra through the city roads, he said that neighbouring Manipur is no longer a unified single state, but has been divided into two states on ethnic lines.
Gandhi, who began a two-day visit to poll-bound Mizoram, asserted that the Congress had ushered in peace in the insurgency-hit northeastern state with the signing of a peace accord in 1986.
“It is amazing to me that the PM and the Government of India are so interested in what is happening in Israel (Israel-Hamas conflict) but not interested at all in what is happening in Manipur, where people have been murdered, women molested and babies killed,” he said.
“The idea of India that respects each other is tolerant, learns from other ideas, religions and languages and that loves itself as a whole. That is the idea of India which is under attack by the BJP.
“They (BJP) attack different communities, religions and languages. They spread hatred and violence in the country. They spread arrogance, lack of understanding and this is completely against the idea of India,” he added.
Elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly are scheduled on November 7. Follow channel on WhatsApp
GUWAHATI: Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting ethnic violence-hit Manipur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the former is more interested in Israel than the northeastern state.
“Some months ago, I went to Manipur and I could not believe what I saw…People have been murdered, women molested, babies killed but the PM does not find it important to travel there. It amazes me that the PM and the Government of India are interested in what is happening in Israel but not Manipur,” Gandhi told a gathering in Mizoram capital Aizawl after taking part in a “padayatra”.
The landlocked state, which has 40 Assembly seats, is going to election on November 7.
“I simply cannot understand why the PM has not visited Manipur. It is something to be ashamed of that the leader of our Union has not travelled to Manipur after what happened there,” Gandhi said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Over 12,000 Kukis from Manipur have been taking shelter in Mizoram since fleeing the ethnic violence. Mizo, Kuki, Zomi, Hmar, Chin (Myanmar) and Kuki-Chin (Bangladesh) tribals are ethnic cousins, belonging to Zo community, and they share the same ancestry, culture and tradition.
The Manipur violence is an emotive issue for the Zo tribals and therefore, Gandhi’s attack of Modi on the Manipur issue assumes significance in the poll-bound Mizoram.
Alleging that the BJP is carrying out an oppression on the people of India, he said the violence in Manipur was just a “symptom” of the problem. He said the same problem could be seen in a smaller forms in many parts of the country where minority communities, tribals and Dalits were feeling uncomfortable.
“There is an oppression being carried out on the people of India,” the former Congress president alleged.
Gandhi also said that the idea of India is under attack by the saffron party, which targets different communities, religions and languages.
“The idea of India that respects each other, is tolerant, learns from other ideas, religions and languages and that loves itself as a whole…That is the idea of India which is under attack by the BJP. They spread hatred and violence in the country. They spread arrogance, lack of understanding and this is completely against the idea of India,” he said.
He slammed the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) for its alliance with the BJP, stating that while the saffron party “attacks your culture, religion and tradition, the MNF supports them in Delhi.”
Gandhi also attacked Mizoram’s government on issues including drugs, unemployment and underdevelopment.
“I would like you to consider what the government has done over the last five years. Drugs are spreading rampantly across the future generation,” he said.
He added that a person, who worked with him and runs an NGO that fights the drug menace, told him that unemployment is the main reason behind the drug problem in Mizoram.
“Over the last five years, the MNF government created only 2,000 jobs. Your infrastructure, roads are in a shambles and they are destroying the economic future of the state,” Gandhi said.
He claimed that the Congress always has a good record of governance and development and that the Congress-ruled states have a vision and concept of development.
“We will defend your culture, religion and tradition…because if Mizo culture, tradition and language is attacked and destroyed, then India is attacked and destroyed. We love your diversity, perspective and way of looking at the world and at life. This is our most valuable asset, as it is the heart of Mizoram,” he said.
***********
AIZAWAL: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was more concerned about happenings in Israel than in Manipur, which has been riven by an ethnic conflict since May this year.
Addressing a rally near Raj Bhavan here after undertaking a 2-km-long padayatra through the city roads, he said that neighbouring Manipur is no longer a unified single state, but has been divided into two states on ethnic lines.
Gandhi, who began a two-day visit to poll-bound Mizoram, asserted that the Congress had ushered in peace in the insurgency-hit northeastern state with the signing of a peace accord in 1986.
“It is amazing to me that the PM and the Government of India are so interested in what is happening in Israel (Israel-Hamas conflict) but not interested at all in what is happening in Manipur, where people have been murdered, women molested and babies killed,” he said.
“The idea of India that respects each other is tolerant, learns from other ideas, religions and languages and that loves itself as a whole. That is the idea of India which is under attack by the BJP.
“They (BJP) attack different communities, religions and languages. They spread hatred and violence in the country. They spread arrogance, lack of understanding and this is completely against the idea of India,” he added.
Elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly are scheduled on November 7. Follow channel on WhatsApp
