India opposes EU Parliament’s debate on Manipur, says it’s an ‘internal issue’

India has rejected European Union’s call to hold an urgent debate on Manipur and the violence that has ensued in the state. The Indian government on Wednesday said that “the matter is totally internal to India.” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, “We made efforts to reach out to EU parliamentarians. The matter is totally internal to India.” EU’s motion for Manipur situation On 11 July, the European Union issued a resolution to “include in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law pursuant." It defended the conduction of a debate on the basis of the EU and India being the world’s two largest democracies that have committed to protecting and promoting human rights. “Whereas violence in India’s Manipur state has erupted along ethnic and religious lines between the mainly Hindu Meitei community and the Christian Kuki tribe, leading to a cycle of violence with over 100 people killed, over 40,000 displaced and the destruction of property and places of worship,” the resolution read. It added, “Whereas Manipur has previously faced secessionist insurgencies in which serious human rights abuses were committed; Whereas, in the latest round of violence human rights groups have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in Manipur and nationally of implementing divisive ethnonationalistic policies which oppress in particular religious’ minorities.” The body said that it “strongly condemns” the acts of violence in the northeastern state. The EU “notes that the use of the unlawful Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), and internet shutdowns. Denounces in the strongest terms nationalistic rhetoric deployed by leading members of the BJP party. Calls on the central government to repeal the AFSPA, in line with UPR recommendations as well as those of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, calls for unimpeded internet access to be re-established.” India’s response Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi, Kwatra said that the debate in the European Parliament is happening despite India’s attempts to put across its point of view. “This is a matter totally internal to India. We are aware of the happenings in the [European] parliament and have reached out to the concerned Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). But we have made it absolutely clear that this is a matter wholly and totally internal to India,” he told The Hindu.