'Time for a New Manipur CM or President's Rule, but Absence of Clear Thinking Means Problem Will Remain'

Pradip Phanjoubam, a senior journalist, columnist and author, tells Karan Thapar that it’s time for a new chief minister or president’s rule in Manipur.

Phanjoubam says the Union government has allowed the crisis in Manipur to become a frozen conflict. But this has not led to peace instead we have, from time to time, the absence of violence but periodically, as happened recently in Jiribam, violence, deaths and abduction erupt.

Phanjoubam identified two reasons why even after 18 months the crisis in Manipur has not been brought under control. The first is that the Union and state government have shied away from forceful action. There has not been the required show of state power.

The second reason is that because the BJP controls both the Union and state government in Manipur, Delhi is reluctant to act in any way that would taint the BJP government in Manipur.