Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma expressed his disappointment over former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh using his father P.A. Sangma’s name in a political discussion about the crisis in Manipur. He said it was “unfortunate” and urged everyone to focus on restoring peace instead of playing politics.
Conrad Sangma reacted to a post by Biren Singh on social media, where Singh accused P.A. Sangma of advocating for dividing the Northeast into smaller states based on ethnicity, a view he calls “dangerous.” Singh claimed that similar attempts are now trying to disrupt Manipur’s internal matters. He also mentioned that the ongoing violence in Manipur is being stirred by those who feel threatened by recent measures aimed at protecting local communities.
In his message, P.A. Sangma’s son urged unity, saying, “We all need to work together. This is what my father would have wanted.” He highlighted the recent actions taken to secure Manipur’s borders, such as implementing the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and tightening the Free Movement Regime (FMR).
The exchange reflects worsening tensions between Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Manipur. On November 17, 2024, the NPP pulled its support from the BJP-led government, citing the failure to restore order during ongoing ethnic violence. Despite this, the BJP government remained stable with the backing of 37 MLAs and other supporters.
Manipur has experienced ethnic conflicts for more than 23 months, leading to President’s Rule being established on February 13, 2025, after Biren Singh resigned on February 9. The ongoing struggle has caused political changes, including the passing of NPP’s Manipur unit president and MLA, N. Kayisii, leaving the party with six seats in the state assembly.
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