By: Express News Service
Mumbai | August 10, 2023 13:00 IST

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/manipur-violence-vba-president-prakash-ambedkar-8885651/

The violence in Manipur is being deliberately fuelled by the ruling BJP, which has decided to award the platinum mining contract in the Northeastern state to a noted industrialist, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar has alleged.

While speaking to reporters in Aurangabad Wednesday, Ambedkar said a vast stretch of platinum reserves have been found in Manipur, which is confined to the land habited by the tribal Kuki community in the hills.

“The government wants to give the platinum mining rights to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s industrialist friend Adani. And all this development in Manipur is a ploy to push the mining contract,” alleged Ambedkar.

The VBA president said the Adivasi Hill Council and not the Manipur Assembly has the right to allow the mining right and that the Council has opposed the contract being given to a private entity. “It has taken the stand that if mining rights are with the Government of India, it will willingly vacate the land and give a nod. However, it will oppose it if the mining contract is given to private players,” he claimed.

The VBA president said, “To counter Kuki tribes who are opposing mining rights to private players, the BJP government at the Centre raked up the tribal reservation issue of Meitis, who live in the plains along Assam and Manipur borders”.

While the Meitei community believes it is fighting for its rights, the Kukis have also said they have the same rights, Ambedkar said. By pitting the two communities against each other the larger design is to push platinum mining rights to a private entity, he also claimed.

He was also quick to point out that the platinum mining contract would hugely profit private players as it is more expensive than gold.