The North East Students' Organisation (Neso), which included eight leading student bodies from the region’s seven states, has blamed the “absence of strong, timely leadership and intervention” for the ethnic conflict in Manipur to “fester” while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “visit Manipur to assess the ground situation personally”.

The Neso in a two-page representation to Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday reminded the duo: “Time and again, Neso has appealed to the Government of India and the Hon’ble Prime Minister to intervene decisively in this matter. However, despite the urgency of the situation, there has been a disturbing lack of response."

"The prolonged silence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, who has yet to visit Manipur since the violence erupted, has only served to aggravate the crisis. The absence of strong, timely leadership and intervention has allowed the conflict to fester, further escalating the violence and suffering endured by the people.”

Modi has not visited Manipur since the conflict between the Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis that has claimed at least 234 lives and displaced 60,000 since May 3, 2023, not even to campaign during the high-stake Lok Sabha poll. The BJP and its ally lost both seats to the Opposition Congress.

The Neso representation comes in the wake of the fresh flare-up that began on September 1 following the use of drone bombs/rockets in civilian areas by suspected Kuki militants. There have been widespread protests in the valley district, especially by students and women. The students’ attempt to march to Raj Bhavan on Wednesday left many injured in action by security forces.

The Kuki-Zos have blamed Meitei miscreants for the drone-missile attacks claiming these "misfired and fell in Meitei areas". There has been an uneasy calm in Imphal since Thursday.

The Neso member organisations which sent the joint representation, signed by its chairperson Samuel Jyrwa and secretary general Mutsikhoyo Yhobu, included the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) , Garo Students’ Union (GSU), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF).