Manipur Horror: Will Biren Singh step down as chief minister?

It’s been 24 hours since a video shook the country’s conscience and questioned our faith in humanity. It’s been 24 hours since a video showing two women from the Kuki-Zomi community were paraded naked by a mob, and one of them was later sexually assaulted went viral on social media. As the video grabbed headlines, it drew condemnation from the common man, the political leaders and from the world around. What made the incident even more tragic was that it had taken place in early May, but it was not until Thursday that four arrests were made . Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reacted to the video on Thursday, saying his heart was “full of pain and anger” and that the guilty would be punished. “Action will be taken according to the law. What happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven. As I stand next to this temple of democracy, my heart is filled with pain and anger,” said the prime minister. The video also attracted fierce criticism from the Supreme Court, which called it “deeply disturbing” and a “gross constitutional failure”. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was quoted as saying, “I think it’s time that the government really steps in and takes action because this is simply unacceptable,” adding that if the government did not act, the court would step in. Amid this situation, calls have grown louder for Chief Minister Biren Singh to step down; while many allege that he has been unable to maintain law and order in the state, some have also stated that he has exacerbated the situation.

Calls grow louder for Singh’s resignation Since the video went viral on Thursday, calls for Biren Singh’s resignation have grown louder. Outer Manipur MP R Lorho S Pfoze of the Naga People’s Front, one of the two MPs from the state, said that Chief Minister Biren Singh should take responsibility of the situation in Manipur. He added that the chief minister should either resign or be sacked from his position. “The state machinery has failed and he (N Biren Singh) should take responsibility,” the Naga leader told news agency PTI. “He should morally resign or he should be sacked, otherwise the issue will continue.” **Also read: What video of women being paraded naked tells us about violence in Manipur** The Congress has also demanded for Singh’s ouster with members of their youth and women wings holding protests in the Capital. The Indian Youth Congress activists gathered at Raisina Road in Delhi and the Mahila Congress members demonstrated at Jantar Mantar. Both groups held banners reading: ‘Stop violence in Manipur’ and ‘We want peace in Manipur’. They also raised slogans against the state government in Manipur. [caption id=“attachment_12895992” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Members of the youth wing of Congress party try to breach a police barricade during a protest near Parliament House in New Delhi. The protest was against deadly ethnic clashes in Manipur after a video showed two women being assaulted by a mob. AP[/caption] Even within the walls of the Rajya Sabha in Parliament, calls for Singh’s resignation rang out loud. Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, Mallikarjun Kharge, said: “We demand the resignation of Manipur chief minister and imposition of President’s Rule,” adding that they wanted a meaningful discussion on the two-month violence in the northeastern state. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has also demanded the resignation of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh with spokesperson Vinod Kumar Pandey stating, “The chief minister (of Manipur) should resign immediately. Our party will hold demonstrations, burn effigies of the central and Manipur governments across the state.” Well-known Manipuri human rights activist Binalakshmi Nepram has also sought the resignation of “those in charge” and asked them to take moral responsibility for the violence. “Govt of #India & #Manipur be both held accountable for every death that has occurred #ManipurViolence, for every sexual assault & attack on women’s bodies happening since 3 May,” Nepram tweeted. “This is unacceptable.”

Govt of #India & #Manipur be both held accountable for every death that has occurred #ManipurViolence,for every sexual assault & attack on women’s bodies happening since 3 May.This is unacceptable.Those in charge must take moral responsibility & RESIGN ! https://t.co/5BNg3D23k4

— Binalakshmi Nepram (@BinaNepram) July 19, 2023

The calls for Singh’s ouster have been ongoing for a while. Earlier in June, he almost put in his papers, but backtracked at the last minute after a large crowd blocked his convoy when he was on the way to the Raj Bhawan to tender his resignation. The women protesting against his decision had then emphasised on the need for stability and continuity in leadership, arguing that Singh calling quits would only exacerbate the existing unrest. **Also read: How rape and sexual violence are used as a weapon in conflict** But not all people had agreed with the move then. There are some within the state who allege that Biren Singh has “polarised” Manipur communities over the last few years. [caption id=“attachment_12896002” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Manipur chief minister Biren Singh visits Kwakta Sericulture farm in Bishnupur district. There are many who allege that the chief minister has been stoking the violence, which has besieged the state for the past two months. File image/PTI[/caption] A day after he pulled back his resignation, there were some tweets on his official Twitter handle, which have since been deleted, that flared ethnic violence. For instance, a Twitter profile with the name “Thang Kuki” said the CM should have resigned a long time ago. In a reply to the tweet, Singh’s official account posted: “Are you from India or Myanmar?” with a laughing emoji, insinuating close ties between Kukis from Manipur and the members of the ethnic group residing across the international border. How the BJP has reacted Even though Biren Singh faces stiff opposition, it appears that the party, the BJP, is siding with him. An NDTV report, citing sources, said that there was no discussion on ousting Singh from his position. “There is no discussion on changing the chief minister; rather the priority is to ensure that law and order remains in control. The situation in Manipur is under control. The home minister spoke to Kuki groups this morning. Assured them of speedy action… The Centre is in constant touch with the state,” the sources told NDTV. As one Imphal-based veteran political commentator was quoted in a Rediff report saying: “It is difficult to replace him because if he is replaced, it will lead to a sense of defeat among the Meiteis, rightly or wrongly, and more chaos.” As for Biren Singh himself, he said on Thursday that his government was considering actions, including capital punishment for the accused persons in the video horror. He wrote on Twitter: “A thorough investigation is currently underway and we will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment. Let it be known, there is absolutely no place for such heinous acts in our society.” With inputs from agencies