'Won't be Resigning': Manipur CM Biren Singh's Clarification After High Drama in Imphal

N Biren Singh on Friday clarified that he will not be resigning from the post of chief minister as it was a “crucial juncture” for Manipur. “At this crucial juncture, I wish to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of Chief Minister,” he tweeted after high-voltage drama unfolded in Imphal over his resignation as thousands of demonstrators blocked his convoy from proceeding towards Raj Bhavan.

Under fire over his handling of the ethnic violence in the state for two months now, Singh was contemplating resigning especially after renewed violence on Thursday left three more dead and five injured. But he was persuaded by women demonstrators to decide against it.

He was to meet the governor first at 1 pm, but hundreds of youth wearing black shirts and women sat down in front of his residence demanding that he should not resign. There was much sloganeering — ‘Manipur can’t be broken’, ‘Government cannot resign’ and ‘No President’s rule in Manipur’ — outside when he came out at 3 pm to meet the governor but had to retreat.

There were unconfirmed reports that the chief minister had typed out a resignation letter, which he was forced to tear up. The crowd slowly dispersed only after women leaders who met him defused the situation by assuring the crowd that he was not resigning.

State health minister Sapam Ranjan Singh said the CM was upset since Thursday, so he took time from the governor and wanted to resign. “But as the news that he may resign started spreading, a large crowd gathered outside his residence. When he stepped out, people did not allow him to move. Then he spoke with them and returned inside. People were not convinced so they wanted to see the resignation letter to be torn up. We are happy he is not resigning,” he said.

Kshetrimayum Shanti, a women leader, told news agency PTI that at this critical juncture, the Biren Singh government should stand firm and crack down on troublemakers.

“We do not want the CM to resign, he should not resign. He is doing a lot of work for us. We are giving support to the CM,” a local resident told news agency ANI.

Another woman agitator told ANI, “We have been under a situation of turmoil since two months. We are looking for the day when the Government of India and Manipur will resolve this conflict in a democratic manner. In such a situation if the Manipur CM resigns, how will the people live here? Who will lead us? He has been leading us from the beginning of the conflict. I do not want him to resign. We trust him.”

More than 100 people have been killed in the ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. Meiteis account for about 53 percent of the state’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — form another 40 percent of the population and reside in the hill districts.