CHRONICLE NEWS SERVICE IMPHAL: Rebuking Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president K Meghachandra’s remarks on National People’s Party (NPP) chief Conrad K Sangma’s visit to the state, NPP state president Yumnam Joykumar asserted that Conrad’s statements were not against the sentiments of the people.

He said that Conrad’s English was clear and questioned whether Meghachandra had misunderstood it.

Speaking at a press meet at NPP state office in Naoremthong, Joykumar stated that Conrad had discussed the party’s stance on Manipur’s integrity, administration, and the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) both during his press conference and at Imphal International Airport.

He urged critics to listen carefully to Conrad’s words before making assumptions.

Joykumar emphasised that NPP was different from other parties, saying it refrains from personal attacks unlike BJP and Congress. However, he noted that NPP is aware of the wrongdoings of other political parties and leaves it to the people to judge them.

Referring to BJP’s charge that Congress caused the current conflict, Joykumar said that during its tenure, Congress pursued appeasement policies toward the Kuki community for political gains.

He highlighted that many Kuki villages gained official recognition during Congress rule, suggesting the need to scrutinise its policies before 2017.

He accused the party of fostering communal politics by promoting Kuki appeasement to counter senior leader Rishang Keishing.

Joykumar added that the Congress government had allowed hilly areas in the valley to fall under Sadar Hills and Senapati districts without correction.

This neglect led to boundary disputes and demographic imbalances caused by unchecked Kuki settlement expansion.

Recalling his tenure as DGP, Joykumar said that under his leadership, Manipur Police intensified operations against insurgent groups, prompting Kuki outfits to sign the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Assam Rifles.

However, police continued operations and did not recognise the SoO. Later, another agreement was signed with the then central and state Congress governments and Kuki groups following a request from DGAR to the Union home minister.

He argued that Congress’s role in establishing SoO arrangement should be examined to determine whether it contributed to the current turmoil.

Addressing the issue of illegal immigration, Joykumar cited it as a major challenge for Manipur. He claimed that illegal immigrants have influenced electoral demographics, pointing to an increase in Kuki voters in areas like Tengnoupal and Uripok, where some names appear on multiple voter lists or without residence. This has caused political imbalance in the state.

Finally, Joykumar questioned Congress’s position on the Election Commission of India’s directive for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing that its reluctance to support the drive exposes its true intentions regarding free and fair elections.