Inner Manipur Lok Sabha MP Dr. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has strongly criticised the Centre for what he described as the marginalisation of Manipur in national discourse, after a key discussion on the state’s 22-month-long crisis was held at 2 a.m. in the Lok Sabha and concluded within just 45 minutes.
Taking to social media platform X, Akoijam questioned the seriousness with which the government is treating the prolonged ethnic violence in Manipur, which has claimed over 260 lives and displaced nearly 60,000 people since May 2023. He noted that the debate followed a 14-hour-long discussion on the Waqf Bill, a legislation he termed a “critical national issue” with pointed sarcasm.
What drew greater concern, Akoijam said, was that none of the three MPs from Manipur — two in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha — were given the opportunity to speak during the brief deliberation.
“Where does Manipur stand in this country?” the Congress MP asked, condemning what he saw as the continued political neglect of a state facing one of the worst internal conflicts in recent decades.
The late-night debate and exclusion of Manipur’s representatives have sparked criticism online, with civil society groups and political observers raising questions about the Centre’s priorities in addressing the ongoing unrest.
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