Should consider Manipur with priority, issue should be solved; RSS chief tells Modi government

NAGPUR: Asserting that the situation in Manipur must be considered with "priority", Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat said that north-eastern state has been awaiting "peace" for a year. The statement of Bhagwat comes after PM Modi took charge as Prime Minister of the country for the third term. Bhagwat said that it is the "duty to prioritise it and take note of it". Bhagwat was addressing the closing ceremony RSS worker's development class in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

"Manipur has been looking for peace for a year now. It should be discussed on priority. The state had been peaceful for the past 10 years. It felt like the old 'gun culture' had come to a demise. It is still burning in the fire of the sudden tension that rose there or that was made to rise there. Who will pay attention to that? It is the duty to prioritise it and take note of it.", said the RSS Chief.

Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3 last year following clashes during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.

The RSS Chief also mentioned the violation of the 'Code of Conduct' by various political parties during the Lok Sabha polls.

"Elections are an essential process of democracy, there are two parties in it, hence there is competition, if there is competition then there is a task of moving one forward and pushing others backwards. Don't use it, why are people getting elected? They will go and sit in the Parliament and run the country, they will run it by building consensus, our tradition is to run by building consensus. The mind and psyche of each person are different, hence it is not possible to have similar opinions, but when people in the society decide to move together despite having different minds, then mutual consent is formed. There are two parties in Parliament so both sides are exposed, it is a bit difficult to reach a consensus among people who have come into competition, that is why we take the hope of a majority, there is competition, not mutual war," Bhagwat said.

"The way we started criticizing each other, and the way our actions in the campaign would increase discord in the society, divide two groups, and create mutual suspicion, was also not taken care of, and organizations like Sangh were also drawn into this, technology falsehoods were served with props, absolute lies; gentlemen do not use this science", he added.