New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) Lok Sabha MPs from Manipur on Tuesday urged the Centre to address the structural inequalities in the allocation of resources to the state.

The plea was raised by Alfred Kanngam S Arthur, Congress MP from Outer Manipur, and Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, MP from Inner Manipur.

"Building this nation includes the building of Manipur, and if you do not want to build my state, then you have no right to govern it," Arthur said during the discussion on the demand for grants for Manipur in Lok Sabha.

"My state is a small state, but we are not small people. We are equal in every way to this nation," he said.

Arthur highlighted the stark disparities between Manipur's hill and valley regions, emphasising that 98 per cent of the hill areas are inhabited by tribal communities.

He said a disproportionate allocation of resources has exacerbated systemic inequities, leading to unrest and marginalisation. "The hills are lush and fertile, yet they remain neglected." He said the state's agrarian economy, which sustains the majority of its people, has seen no increase in budgetary allocations for agriculture or horticulture.

"Ninety-eight per cent of Manipur is hills, but there is no income, no growth, and no development. How can we sustain ourselves when the very foundation of our livelihood is ignored?" Arthur wondered.

On the issue of social welfare schemes, Arthur said 50 per cent of MGNREGA funds for 2023-24 have not been released, and for 2024-25, nothing has been allocated.

Arthur also raised concerns about Manipur's economic stagnation, pointing out that the state has the lowest per capita income in the country.

"Why has NITI Aayog, the state government, and now the central government not ensured course correction to increase our Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP)?" he questioned.

He further criticised the exclusion of rehabilitation measures for the nearly 50,000 displaced due to ethnic strife.

"Their homes have been ravaged, burned, broken, and damaged. Yet, there is no reflection in the budget for their rehabilitation," he said.

"Who is responsible for what has happened to my state today? The whole world has seen him on tape admitting to instigating this crisis, yet there has been no inquiry," he charged.

Arthur urged the government to reconsider the budget and present a revised version that charts allocations for the hill and valley regions.

"If my repeated pleas to this House make no sense, then give me the opportunity to relinquish my seat and not return. Because speaking again and again without being heard is painful," he said.

Akoijam echoed Arthur's concerns, criticising the central government for its handling of Manipur's crisis and the lack of sensitivity in the budget.

Akoijam accused the central government of dealing with Manipur in a "contemptuous nature." He also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence during the initial stages of the violent crisis in 2023.

"We have talked a lot about the prime minister not visiting the state initially in the beginning of the crisis... today I am almost indifferent whether he visits the state or not, it doesn't matter anymore. But the rest of the country should know that there is no visa issue for the PM to visit.

"He may go to Ukraine and talk about peace, but his own citizens have been slaughtered, and more than 60,000 people have been rendered homeless. This kind of behaviour can never be justified by anybody who swears by nationalism... it can only be done by the one who swears by pseudo-nationalism," he said.

Akoijam expressed disappointment that the budget did not address the debt burden of Manipur or reflect on the 21-month-long crisis in the state.

"We are not asking for UN interventions... we are asking for additional sources of money from the central government...60,000 people are rendered homeless in the state... villages wiped out... children not able to go to school... women are suffering," he said.

He questioned the central government's priorities. "Had this crisis been there in UP or Bihar, you would have felt the nation in you for you to reflect in the budget." He accused the central government of making Manipur invisible, stating, "There is a sense of invisibility in the state... you are trying to make us invisible... and you expect people of the state to feel like any other Indians." Akoijam warned that the people of Manipur are beginning to question their relationship with the Union of India.

He also criticised the budget for failing to address the recent floods in Manipur.

"You gave Rs 11,500 crore to Bihar. Is Bihar more Indian than Manipur?" he asked.

"In this situation, you expect us to feel normal and included. Thousands of people are suffering. I expect the government to be sensitive... the budget must reflect that you care for the state," Akoijam said. PTI UZM RR UZM VN VN