New Delhi: Amid ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday shared a video of his recent visit to the violence-hit northeastern state. Sharing the video, he said that during his two-day visit, he had a heartbreaking experience, adding that "violence has left behind a trail of tragic consequences" in the state.
He appealed to the people of Manipur to maintain peace and encouraged communities to have dialogues for lasting harmony.
He said that Manipur has been burning for two months now. "Manipur needs Peace. My strong appeal to the people of Manipur is that peace is the only way forward. It is now time that conversations for peace happen between all communities and lasting solutions for harmony are discussed," he stated.
He added, "Nafrat Chhodo, Manipur Jodo!"
Rahul Gandhi's two-day visit to the state saw high drama with his convoy being stopped by the police while he was on his way to meet the victims at a relief camp, following which he reached the camp on a helicopter.
After he had concluded his visit, he said, "Manipur needs peace. I want peace to be restored here. I visited some relief camps, there are deficiencies in these relief camps, the government should work for this."
On the first day of his visit, the Congress leader toured the relief camps in Churchandpur, one of the most severely affected regions in the ethnic clashes, the district where the signs of clashes were first witnessed when Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s event venue was torched by a mob in April.
The next day, he visited two relief camps at Moirang in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, party officials said. Gandhi met a number of affected people and listened to their plight. According to reports, both the camps that Gandhi visited shelter around 1,000 people.
He also interacted with children displaced by the violence in Manipur. More than 100 people have lost their lives and nearly 40,000 displaced since ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities erupted in May.
During his visit, he also met members of Manipur civil society organisations and listened to their problems.
Among the different organisations that he met included the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (CoCoMI), a civil society organization, representatives of United Naga Council, the apex body of Naga community in Manipur, the Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee, and prominent personalities including JNU professor Bimol A.