A team of Left MPs who completed their three-day tour of violence-hit Manipur on Saturday has demanded that the administration immediately restore Internet services to help people resume some normal activities, while checking the spread of misinformation by providing official information.

John Brittas, CPM Rajya Sabha member from Kerala who is part of the five-member team, told The Telegraph from Imphal that suspending the Internet had not contained the spread of misinformation, which was fuelling suspicion among the people.

“The Centre assumes that it can bring the situation under control by shutting down the Internet and deploying paramilitary forces,” he said.

“It needs to realise that it can never resolve this issue through such a formula, because misinformation has taken over the state and the people are being fed rumours and canards instead of official messages.”

The MP added: “It is two months since the government switched off the Internet in Manipur. Even we have no clue what’s happening in the world since we too are completely cut off from Web services.”

The MPs’ delegation, made up of four Rajya Sabha members — Brittas, B. Bhattacharya (both CPM), P. Sandosh Kumar and Binoy Viswam (both CPI) — and Lok Sabha member K. Subbarayan (CPI) have visited relief camps and met governor Anusuiya Uikey, civil society members, professionals and journalists.

Kumar, MP from Kerala, echoed Brittas and said that switching off the Internet had been counter-productive.

“There is no point pretending everything is fine here and stop the flow of information by unplugging the Internet. Even basic Web use — from filing tax returns to booking a train ticket — has become impossible,” he said.

“While the state is in virtual lockdown with few daring to venture out despite the artificial peace, those on work-from-home mode are struggling without the Internet. It’s high time the central government restored Internet services in Manipur so that people can slowly get back to their lives and livelihood, which will help regain some confidence in the system.”

Brittas urged the Centre to make a strong intervention. “The government of India has to intervene now and kick-start the process of taking the state back to normality, first by putting in place a new government under a new chief minister and starting a reconciliation process.”

He added: “While engaged in the reconciliation process, the government shouldkeep all the pending disputes between the two communities in abeyance andfocus on restoring peaceand confidence among the people who, at the moment, don’t have faith in the government.”

Brittas felt that the armed forces cannot bring back peace by themselves.

“There are about 60,000 paramilitary forces in the state now, but they cannot do anything without the people’s cooperation,” he said.

“That apart, a military solution, that too in our own country, is no solution at all. The armed forces can only supplement the overall efforts to restore peace.”

Brittas said the divide between the majority Meiteis and tribal Kukis had become so deep that even government officials from these communities had fled their homes.

“Now there are no Kuki government servants in Imphal, just as there are no Meiteis in the hills. This alone is enough to understand the total collapse of the state administration,” he said.

“Many of them lost their homes. But they won’t return even if the government rebuilds their houses in such an environment.”

The state government’s move to reopen the schools has not received much response, with many students having moved to “safe zones” — places where their community is in the majority — along with their families.

“Today we visited a school where only about 400 of the 4,500 students enrolled have been attending classes,” Brittas said.

“This is a futile exercise, which is in keeping with the state government’s attempt to paint a picture of peace at a time the Supreme Court is hearing the matter and the monsoon session of Parliament is approaching. This kind of attempt to cover up the ground reality is not helpful at all.”

Violence has been continuing in Manipur with a mob of 150-200 torching two vehicles and trying to seize weapons from the police in Imphal on Friday night, prompting the forces to fire at the crowd, PTI reported. No casualties have been reported.

PTI also reported that a mob of 100-200 people had gathered at the palace compound in Imphal on Friday night. Army and Rapid Action Force troops broke up the crowd by 12.30am, sources said.

Intermittent exchanges of gunfire were reported near Yaingangpokpi in Imphal East district till midnight, the agency reported.

The agency added that four people, including a Manipur police commando and a teenager, were killed in clashes between Kukis and Meiteis in the Kangvai area of Bishnupur district late on Thursday night.

More than 130 people have been killed, over 3,000 injured and at least 60,000 displaced since violence broke out on May 3 following a tribalprotest march in the hill districts against the Meiteis’ bid for Scheduled Tribe status.