'Need of hour is peace': Rahul Gandhi visits relief camps in Manipur, meets violence-hit victims

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, visited relief camps in Churachandpur, Manipur on Monday to offer support to those affected by ethnic violence. During his visit, he also met with Governor Anusuiya Uikey and visited Jiribam Higher Secondary School relief camp to extend his support to the victims.
The relief camp residents expressed their grievances about the ongoing ethnic violence in the state. A young individual who has been staying in the camp welcomed Rahul Gandhi's visit and expressed hope that the Congress leader would bring attention to their issues.
Later in the day, In a press briefing, Rahul Gandhi stated that he and the Congress party are prepared to take any necessary steps to restore peace in Manipur.
"The need of the hour is peace. Violence is hurting everybody; thousands of families have been harmed and I have never seen, anywhere in India, what is going on here. The state is completely split in two and it is a tragedy for everyone involved. I want to tell all the people of Manipur - I come here as your brother, I come here as someone who wants to help you, who wants to work with you to bring back peace in Manipur. I am ready to do whatever I can, Congress party is ready to do whatever it can to bring back peace here. We had a conversation with the Governor and we expressed to the Governor that we would like to help in whatever way we can. We also expressed our displeasure, and said that we are not happy with the progress that has taken place here. I don't want to go further into politicising this issue, that's not my intention," said Rahul Gandhi.
Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur during his press briefing. He also highlighted that this marks his third visit to the state since the outbreak of ethnic violence.
"I feel that it is important that the Prime Minister come here, listen to the people of Manipur, try & understand what is going on in Manipur. After all, Manipur is a proud state of the Indian Union...even if there was no tragedy, the Prime Minister should have come to Manipur. In this huge tragedy, I request the Prime Minister to take 1-2 days of his time and just come and listen to the people of Manipur," he further added.
One college student shared her ordeal, revealing that her house in Chandel district was burned on May 4 last year, and since then, she and her family have been living in the relief camp.
"We want separate administration. We have been suffering here for long. We have been here since the crisis. I don't think there is peace. There is still a crisis. My house in Chandel district was burnt down on May 4. It has been a year now," she said.
Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Imphal airport marked the beginning of his journey to various relief camps in the region.
His visit to the Jiribam Higher Secondary School relief camp was highlighted by the Congress party in a post, expressing the leader's commitment to the people of Manipur.
"LoP Rahul Gandhi visits Jiribam Higher Secondary School relief camp, meets victims of violence, and offers support in their darkest hour. His third visit to Manipur post-violence shows his unwavering commitment to the people's cause," stated Congress in the post on X.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi also took time to visit Assam, where he met victims of the recent floods at a relief camp in Fulertal, Lakhipur.
Ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3 last year following clashes during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union to protest against the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his recent speech in the Rajya Sabha, mentioned the central government's efforts to stabilise the situation in Manipur.
"The government is continuously making efforts to normalise the situation in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered and over 500 people have been arrested. Incidents of violence are continuously reducing in Manipur," he said.
He assured that both central and state governments are engaged in dialogue with all stakeholders to bring peace back to the region.
"Today, schools, colleges, offices, and other institutions are open in the state. The central and state governments are talking to all stakeholders to restore peace," the Prime Minister added.