‘Too little, too late’: Congress questions timing of PM Modi’s visit to Manipur

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Tuesday, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of prolonged silence and inaction on the crisis in Manipur plagued by ethnic violence since May 2023, questioned the timing of his potential visit to Manipur, scheduled for September 13, calling it “too little, too late”.

“It appears that the PM may finally summon up the courage and empathy to visit Manipur briefly on September 13. But that may be a case of TLTL – too little too late,” the Congress general secretary said, highlighting the government’s failure to address the situation in a time-bound manner.

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As per media reports, PM Modi is likely to visit Mizoram and Manipur on September 13. PM Modi will first visit Mizoram to inaugurate the new Bairabi-Sairang railway.

Manipur has been grappling with ethnic violence between the Meitei majority and the Kuki tribal community, resulting in hundreds of deaths and mass displacement. The state’s constitutional machinery broke down, prompting the Supreme Court to remark on the situation. President’s Rule was imposed in February this year, but the situation remains grim.

Ramesh criticized Modi for not visiting Manipur despite traveling extensively abroad and visiting neighboring states like Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. “For 29 long months, the PM has refused to meet with any political leader, any political party, any MLA or MP, or any civil society group from Manipur,” he lamented, emphasizing the PM’s neglect of the state’s plight.

The Congress leader also slammed the Union home minister for his perceived “incompetence” in handling the situation. “The complete neglect of Manipur by the PM, combined with the loud-mouthed incompetence of the Union Home Minister, has deepened the pain, distress, and agony of all communities of Manipur’s society,” he added.