Congressman K. C. Venugopal said that although the situation is precarious, both communities view Rahul Gandhi as a leader who can bring them together.
As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra went through Imphal West and into Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi, the apparent normalcy in Imphal city gradually gave way to a sense of mistrust and a deep split.
The Meitei community and the Kuki tribes erupted in ethnic conflict on May 3, of last year. Mr. Gandhi’s modified Volvo bus passed through some of these places on Monday, January 15, 2024, the second day of the 67-day Manipur to Mumbai yatra.
The presence of security guards outside of certain towns, a completely destroyed home with a “Meitei Go” sign on it, and other signs stating “Welcome to Kuki land” were all clear indicators of a severe socioeconomic difference.
As eager throngs crowded the narrow roads on their way from Imphal to Kohima, Manipur Congress head Keisham Meghachandra Singh and former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, both of whom are from the Meitei community, were absent from Mr. Gandhi’s entourage.
A group of young boys in Karong were chanting “Rahul Gandhi zindabad” and “We want separate administration” back and forth while holding the Indian tricolour in their hands.
“I am aware of what you have experienced. You have lost belongings and loved members. Gandhi stated in a roadside public speech, “I want you to know that we are fully with you and want to bring peace to Manipur.”
At many locations, such as Kalapahar Bazar in the Kangpokpi region or Keithelmanbi Military Colony, signs prohibiting strangers after 5 p.m.
“Both groups express faith in Rahul.”
“We know that the situation is still fragile but Rahul ji has come forward with his message of peace and harmony. Meitei and Kuki alike have come out to show their faith in him, according to people from both communities, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal told Tind Posting.
“They see Rahul ji as a leader who can unify the communities,” Mr. Venugopal, one of the key organisers of the yatra, remarked.
Senior leader Jairam Ramesh discussed how, during the previous two days, Mr. Gandhi had met with a number of civil society organisations.
Mr. Ramesh informed reporters, “The civil society organisations told Rahul ji that the Congress and he [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] should come to Manipur before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.”
According to Mr. Ramesh, these organisations were referred to as Manipuri organisations during their previous visits to the State, but they are now known as community organisations. That’s the distinction between. They’re all for peace, he continued.
However, the path to peace in Manipur was as brittle as the partially collapsed road that was being built to Kohima.
It’s National Highway 29 here. Take a look at its condition. Prime Minister Modi ji and [Union Minister for Road Transport Highways] Nitin Gadkari make great boasts regarding motorways and super motorways. However, as the yatra began its third day of travel on Tuesday, Mr. Ramesh said, “There is no road at all here, just pebbles and potholes.”