Mr Jaishankar addresses Indian community in South Korea
Seoul:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said what happened in Manipur was “truly tragic” while stressing that all Indians wanted to see a return to normalcy in the northeastern state.
Jaishankar addressed the Indian community here tonight as part of the first leg of his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.
Among several questions about India and the Indian community, a community member asked him about the situation in Manipur.
“How did this happen? How did the government allow this to happen? You know, no one has any regrets about what happened there. I mean, what happened there was really tragic and tragic Sex is the devastation of tightly knit communities that leads to this level of violence and is very difficult to stop,” the minister said.
“I think the desire of the entire country is focused on Manipur, I mean people want to see things return to normal, they want to see law and order restored,” Jaishankar said. India, of course, is not the Northeast that everyone wants. ”
Violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur has escalated since May 3, 2023, with a “tribal unity march” held in the hills to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, reportedly causing 219 Casualties.
The Meitei people make up about 53% of the population of Manipur and live mainly in the Imphal Valley. Tribes such as Naga and Kuki account for 40% and mainly live in mountainous areas.
Replying to the question, Jaishankar said, “This (the situation in Manipur) is something we take very seriously” and mentioned the open border with Myanmar as one of the issues and how India had suspended its earlier unique system, making it People can travel up to 16 kilometers one way without travel documents.
“Unfortunately, we have now decided to suspend this operation and actually, in some ways, the situation at the border has become more serious. That is unfortunate,” he added.
Before answering a question specifically about Manipur, Mr. Jaishankar narrated how the Centre’s current arrangements have transformed mere talk of “Look East” and “Act East” into practice, with a number of projects being implemented there.
“If you look at how difficult it is to travel, if you see the level of business, the attention given, the resources given, it’s actually very disturbing. This is one of the changes in the last decade,” he asserted.
“Obviously, today everyone is… distressed is a very mild word with what’s going on in Manipur. So, I do feel that in a lot of ways, the Northeast itself can serve as a bridge, but it’s also cultural aspect as well as the physical continuity aspect,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar then mentioned the development work that has been carried out in the region over the past decade and how India and Bangladesh are now interconnected by “rail, road, train, waterway”; goods are being shipped to Bangladeshi ports, electricity is being supplied, etc. “So, I would say, this gives some kind of boost to the entire region.” Jaishankar later added that India was trying to see if it could similarly enhance connectivity with Bhutan.
He also mentioned India’s decision last week to build three semiconductor manufacturing projects, one of which will be located in Assam. Jaishankar added: “For me, to see a big production, a production that’s so technical, take place in the Northeast… it’s a big statement.”
Earlier in the day, the Foreign Minister met with South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo and others after arriving in Seoul. He will co-chair the 10th India-Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with Cho Taiyeol on Wednesday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
