The Congress on Saturday said the all-party meeting on Manipur called by home minister Amit Shah was an eyewash and a formality, insisting that normality is difficult until chief minister N. Biren Singh is removed.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said: “As the principal Opposition party, our representative and the senior-most leader from Manipur, three-time elected chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, was not allowed to fully put forth his point of view.”

He reiterated that the meeting had little relevance without the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ibobi Singh, who attended the meeting, said: “Unfortunately, I was not given enough time to explain. Barely seven-eight minutes. I said this kind of meeting will be appropriate in the presence of the Prime Minister. Why has the Prime Minister not spoken a word over the last 50 days even though Manipur is a border state? Not even a tweet. Then I was told to finish. I asked for three-four minutes after others have spoken as I am from Manipur, but the home minister asked me to meet him.”

Ramesh said it was tragic that a person who had been the chief minister of Manipur for 15 years was given barely seven-eight minutes to voice his concerns. “Ibobi Singh knows Manipur better than others but the central government was not interested in listening to him. The meeting that lasted for three hours allowed a former chief minister to speak only for seven minutes. This is shocking and insulting,” he said.

The Congress released an eight-point charter of demands, arguing that these steps were necessary for the restoration of peace in Manipur. The demands are:

⚫ This all-party meeting should have been chaired by the Prime Minister who has not said a single word on Manipur in the past 50 days

⚫ This meeting would have been better if it had been chaired by the Prime Minister and had been held in Imphal. This would have sent a clear message to the people of Manipur that their pain and distress are also a matter of national anguish.

⚫ All armed groups must be disarmed immediately without any compromise.

⚫ The state government has failed miserably in providing effective governance when it has been needed most. The chief minister himself has admitted publicly twice his failure to handle the situation and deal with the crisis. He has also asked for the forgiveness of the people. On March 11, he unilaterally withdrew the state government’s commitment to the tripartite agreement on the suspension of operations with certain militant groups claiming to be upholders of Kuki interests. This move of his was later rejected by the Union home ministry but by then enough damage had been done. This is one glaring example in a series of blunders. The chief minister should be replaced immediately.

⚫ The unity and territorial integrity of Manipur should not be compromised in any manner.

⚫ Grievances of each and every community must be heard and addressed sensitively.

⚫ Steps should be taken by the Union government to ensure the availability of essential commodities by keeping the two national highways open and secure at all times.

⚫ A package of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement, and livelihood for the affected people must be prepared without delay. The relief package announced is grossly inadequate.