In Parliament, When Former PM Manmohan Singh Spoke On Northeast Violence in 2012...

Ron Borah

Synonymous to the current situation in Manipur, there was a time when Assam witnessed a similar situation where violent ethnic clashes broke out between indigenous Bodos and Bengali Muslims in the Bodoland region, resulting in the death of nearly 100 people.

The year was 2012 when the ethnic conflict in the Northeast took a deadly turn - caused by unabated immigration, politicization of ethnicity and culture, and identity politics.

Around 100 people were reported to have been killed with a number of them missing, while 400,000 people were taking shelter in 270 relief camps. Nearly 400 villages were affected by the carnage that was bestowed upon them in one of the deadliest ethnic clashes India had witnessed.

It was a time when the region was marred with insurgencies, separatist movements, and ethnic conflicts that were as evident as it could be. There were issues that caused suffering to the people in the region, hampered development in some capacity, and also threatened India's territorial integrity.

However, it was also a time when we had a Prime Minister who was answerable, who spoke with conviction, and who tackled challenges head on. On 17 August 2012, the then Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was on the second-last leg of his tenure, addressed the issue of violence in the Northeast in the Indian Parliament - in what is described as a defining moment in his tenure.

While critics often labeled Singh as a "silent" Prime Minister, arguing that his reticent style overshadowed his leadership abilities, his approach to handling sensitive matters like the Northeast violence issue revealed a different facet of his leadership.

In his speech, he conveyed the gravity of the situation and the urgency to find lasting solutions. Contrary to the "silent" label, he spoke with conviction, determination, and empathy for the people of the region.

During his speech, he straight up acknowledged the fact that a crisis is in effect under the watch of his government and addressed the longstanding grievances of the people in the Northeast, while speaking about the complex historical factors contributing to the region's unrest. He emphasized the significance of engaging in meaningful dialogue with various stakeholders to address the root causes of violence. He stressed that only through dialogue and inclusivity could a sustainable resolution be achieved.

Dr. Singh also reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the security and safety of the people. He further stressed the importance of fostering regional cooperation and advocated for diplomacy and collaborative efforts to promote peace in the region.

His remarks came as Parliament, rising above party politics, spoke in unison against the panic created among people from North East in other states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

Dr. Singh’s speech was followed by an impromptu debate on the issue. Subsequently, the Rajya Sabha passed a resolution declaring that it was one with the people of the Northeast and shared concern over the fleeing of people from different parts of the country.

Both Houses of Parliament showed solidarity with the people of Northeast, with Rajya Sabha adopting a resolution demanding a thorough probe into the spread of rumours that created panic.

Now why was it pertinent to accentuate this simple process of democracy? – fast forward to July 2023 -  when the Northeastern state of Manipur is witnessing a situation so dire that the state is on the brink of an all-out civil war.

Dr Singh did not make the statement outside the Parliament, nor did he send his ministers to make statements, nor did he send a woman minister to defend him. He issued his statement on the very floor of the House of the Parliament.

As the leader of the world’s largest democracy, he faced the challenge, rather than completely being absent from the Parliament.

Not to mention, Dr. Singh physically visited the relief camps in Assam’s Kokrajhar to meet the affected people after former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi blamed the UPA government for ‘delay in army deployment’. The then Home Minister P. Chidambaram also visited the state two days later to review the security situation.

The swift response by Dr. Singh speaks volumes about his unwavering commitment to restoring peace in the region rather than trying to ‘cover up’ violent incidents that occurred in the state by suspending the internet connectivity so as to hide the atrocities from the eyes of the world.

Dr. Singh’s approach to the issue exemplified his style of leadership. He may have been soft-spoken, but his actions and speeches demonstrated a determined, thoughtful, and decisive leader. Rhetorically speaking, maybe sometimes silence doesn’t afterall equate to inaction or indecisiveness.

Life may have come full circle for Dr. Singh as he once said “History will be kinder to me…” and it was “for historians to judge” if he had been a weak Prime Minister (?)

Check the video of his 2012 speech here -

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