When Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh asked his secretary, N. Geoffrey, to draft his resignation letter late last month, panic engulfed the state secretariat. As soon as the news reached the BJP office in Imphal, the party asked civil society organisations to assemble outside the chief minister’s residence and dissuade him from going to the Raj Bhavan.
Thousands of people—most of them Meiteis—hit the streets quickly. Ironically, many of them had earlier asked the chief minister to resign as they felt the government failed to protect the interests of the Meiteis. They accused the Union government and its agencies of being soft towards the Kukis who they said had attacked them and destroyed their houses. But they came out in Biren Singh’s support after the local BJP leadership told them that if the chief minister resigned, the next option would be president’s rule. “It would mean an all out Army show. And the Meitei women would be in trouble as their protests would be dealt with harshly,” said a BJP functionary.
As the news reached Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervened and asked the chief minister to continue. Meanwhile, a group of protesters snatched the resignation letter from Biren Singh and tore it. This correspondent asked the chief minister about the letter. “It was mine and it was genuine,” he said.
When violence broke out in early May, Biren Singh had put up a brave face. But things have become difficult for him as the Meiteis are clearly unhappy as they think the Army has not been harsh enough with the Kukis.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 16, 2023-Ausgabe von THE WEEK India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 16, 2023-Ausgabe von THE WEEK India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
