Stating that violence should have never happened in Manipur, Union Minister of State for Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Saturday said an interfaith committee has been formed to bridge the "gap of mistrust".
Singh, whose house in Kongba Nandeibam in Manipur’s Imphal East district had been set on fire in mid-June during a clash, told PTI, "I always pray to god that let the darkness get over. An interfaith community has been constituted to bridge the gap of mistrust. The darkness should not recur again."
On the viral video showing two women being paraded naked in Manipur in early May, the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha MP said, "I was very shocked and sad to see the video. I strongly condemn the perpetrators who committed such an act. Manipur is a land of peace, a state where different ethnic communities have been living together peacefully for centuries."
Voicing confidence that the current situation will end soon, Singh said, "all the ethnic communities residing in the state should respect the spirit of Manipur.”
“Everyone must understand the spirit of Manipur. There are 34 ethnic communities who formed this civilisation and brought it up to this stage,” he said.
"If someone disturbs peaceful co-existence, that cannot be tolerated. History should not be diluted," he added.
Asked if he foresaw the coming Independence Day being celebrated with the usual enthusiasm in Manipur, Singh said, "Yes, we will be certainly celebrating with usual fanfare."
Asked to comment on allegations by the BJP about alleged stripping of two women in West Bengal’s Malda, the academic-turned-politician said, "India belongs to its mothers. We always worship goddesses. This type of behaviour and attitude (towards women) is shameful. Wherever that takes place, it should not happen."
-With PTI Input
