 "Disarmament pre-condition for talks: Sitaram Yechury on Manipur crisis")
The government must ensure disarmament to start the talks with the warring Kuki and Meitei communities for resolving the crisis in Manipur, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at the Manipur Press Club, Yechury said the 'double engine' government of the BJP should double its efforts in resolving the conflict, which has been going on for over three months.
"There has to be some sort of dialogue and discussion, and that is where the governments -- both Centre and state -- have the primary responsibility. If it's a double-engine government, then please make double-energy efforts to try and bring everybody together to a table. We have done this in the past. It is the only way all problems that India has faced in last 75 years have been resolved," he said.
"Disarmament should be a pre-condition for the talks. Talks have to begin with ceasefire, and then it should proceed on the issues," he added.
Yechury also urged the Centre to send a parliamentary delegation to the state.
The governments at the Centre and in the state are either incompetent or complacent, he alleged, pointing to the continuing violence since May 3.
More From This Section
"We have told the Centre repeatedly -- send a delegation of all political parties in Parliament led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Manipur," he said, also urging the government to hold meetings with opposition parties in the state.
Yechury alleged that there were no basic amenities at the relief camps where the people affected by the violence were staying.
"We appealed to Governor Anusuiya Uikey to interfere for ensuring the amenities," he said.
Yechury led a four-member delegation of his party to the state on a three-day visit, which began on Friday.
Besides meeting the governor, members of the delegation also visited relief camps in Churachandpur and Moirang.
Over 160 people have been killed in the ethnic clashes that broke out in the state in May.