Manipur MP Bimol Akoijam: ‘Rs 500 crore for rehabilitation adds to humiliation … need much larger economic package’ | Political Pulse News

It is unfortunate to say the least. The crisis has affected Manipur in all spheres, and its economy has been severely affected. It will take decades to recover. We need substantial support from the Centre. The Union government must discharge its constitutional and moral responsibility towards its citizens in the state. The voice of the people of the state must be heard, most importantly, given a chance to be heard. Forget about MPs like me, did the Finance ministers consult their own MLAs and party leaders in Manipur for this budget? For heaven’s sake, Manipur is not a vassal state; it’s a constituent state of the Union.

2. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Opposition was shedding ‘crocodile tears’ for Manipur while stalling the House. How do you respond to that charge?

I am sorry to say that the Finance Minister should not have indulged in such rhetoric that trivialises a serious issue such as the economy of the crisis-affected state of Manipur, and bulldozed a budget without discussion under the cover of a legitimate protest against SIR by the opposition. I must say, how the budget has been passed today is a reflection of the overall orientation and response of the Government of India under the BJP to the unprecedented crisis in Manipur, something that the country has not seen in its postcolonial history.

3. The Appropriation Bill includes over `500 crore for rehabilitation and over `500 crore for security. Do you believe these allocations reflect the actual needs on the ground?

This `500 crore for rehabilitation is adding to the humiliation that the people of the state have been going through over the last two years. See, about 60,000 people have been rendered homeless and displaced, thousands of houses and hundreds of villages have been destroyed. Besides the loss of life, these internally displaced persons are going through unprecedented hardships, such as losing their means of livelihood. From the issue of their day-to-day needs, the issue of health and education of the children, do you think the amount mentioned in the budget helps… It is a cruel joke; it’s nothing but sprinkling salt

to the wound! We are not begging; we are only asking what a responsible, democratic national government must do for its citizens. The budget should have a much larger economic package for the IDPs, besides measures to rejuvenate the economy of the state. Measures such as the exemption of income tax for at least a decade to boost the economy should have been there in the budget, especially in the face of the crisis.

4. Were you or other Manipur representatives consulted on these bills before they were brought to the House?

No, we were not consulted. That itself reveals the central government’s approach — unilateralism, not federalism. It’s deeply ironic that in a so-called cooperative federation, representatives from the state in question are kept in the dark while decisions are taken in Delhi by people far from the realities on the ground. This isn’t just about disrespecting MPs — it’s about silencing the voice of an entire state and abdication of responsibility by the Union government towards the nation itself.

5. What would you have said in the Lok Sabha today, had there been a discussion on these bills?

Besides the issues I have raised above, I would have said that the crisis in Manipur is not merely about law and order — it is a crisis of constitutional governance, of moral leadership, and of democratic accountability. I would have demanded answers: Why has there been no comprehensive political initiative and adequate socio-economic measures to address the crisis? Why are thousands still displaced, months after the violence started? And most importantly, how long will the people of Manipur be treated as if they do not matter in this country?