Tweet from the reporters' collective @reporters_co
A bizarre one from the #ParliamentDefied series: The Home Ministry says it can't find any record of Parliament ratifying the merger of the kingdom of Manipur with India. In 1949, the kingdom of Manipur signed a Merger Agreement to join the Indian Union. In Manipur, this agreement has since been pummelled with claims that it was signed under coercion, fuelling emotive debates in the border state.
In Parliament, the Union Home Minister was asked whether such a Merger Agreement exists, if so, whether the agreement was rejected by the Manipur state assembly and had Parliament ratified it.
https://www.reporters-co llective.in/the-assurance-project/home-minister-promised-to-help-states-in-addressing-police-suicides-but-quietly-flipped
On December 18, 2018, the Home Minister gave the House an assurance that information regarding this agreement “is being collected”.
During a subsequent hearing before the Assurance Committee on July 28, 2020, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs shockingly admitted that it could not locate any information on the fact that the country had ratified a merger agreement with Manipur.
Unverified Text of the Agreement in Question.. https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/manipur/documents/papers/manipur_merger_agreement_1949.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur During the days of the British Raj, Manipur was one of the princely states.[18] On 11 August 1947, Maharaja Bodhachandra Singh signed an Instrument of Accession, argued by many that the king was in no legal position to sign the instrument of accession at the time,[19][20][21] under the agreement Bodhachandra Singh accede to the Indian Union.[22][23] Later, on 21 September 1949, he signed a Merger Agreement, disputed as having been done without consultation of the popular ministry under Manipur State Constitution Act 1947
2023 ethnic violence
In May 2023, an ethnic clash between Meitei people and Kuki people led to extensive violence and arson, resulting in 60,000 people displaced from their homes and hundreds more dead and hospitalized.Mukhim, Patricia (22 July 2023). "Can Manipur ever trust India again?" https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/7/22/can-manipur-ever-trust-india-again . Al Jazeera.
According to data released by Manipur Police, as on September 15, 2023; 175 people have been killed; 1,118 people were injured, and 33 people were missing. 96 bodies remained unclaimed. 5,172 cases of arson including destruction of 4,786 houses and 386 religious places, out of which there were 254 churches and 132 temples, were reported since May. Out of 5,668 arms lost; 1,329 arms, 15,050 ammunition and 400 bombs were recovered."Manipur violence: 175 deaths so far, 4,786 houses burnt, say police". https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/manipur/manipur-violence-deaths-houses-burnt-police-8941007 / The Indian Express. 15 September 2023.
"175 Killed, 4,786 Homes Set Ablaze: Manipur Police Data Sheds Light On Scale Of Conflict". https://www.timesnownews.com/india/175-killed-4786-homes-set-ablaze-manipur-police-data-sheds-light-on-scale-of-conflict-article-103683991 TimesNow. 15 September 2023.
"Police Updates Statistics on Manipur Violence: 175 Officially Dead, 96 Bodies Yet Unclaimed". https://thewire.in/government/manipur-death-toll-violence-missing-arms The Wire. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
Indian army troops were deployed to control the situation.[88] Farooqui, Sania; Sehgal, Kunal. "Over 50 dead, hundreds hospitalized and 23,000 displaced by ethnic violence in India's Manipur". https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/07/india/manipur-ethnic-violence-over-50-dead-india-intl-hnk/index.htm l CNN.
International outrage resulted from a report that two Kuki women had been paraded naked and allegedly gang-raped by a mob of Meitei men.
Mollan, Cherylann (20 July 2023). "Manipur: India outrage after women paraded naked in violence-hit state". https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66253389 BBC News.
Ellis-Petersen, Hannah; Hassan, Aakash (22 July 2023). "Video of women attacked in Manipur breaks silence on systematic gang rapes in India". https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/22/video-of-women-attacked-in-manipur-breaks-silence-on-systematic-gang-rapes-in-india The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur_(princely_state)