Colin Gonsalves on Manipur: Winning Elections Doesn’t Absolve you of Crimes Against Humanity

Union home minister Amit Shah visited Manipur and blamed the present conflict on a High Court order regarding the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Dr. Colin Gonsalves, founder of the Human Rights Law Network, is arguing the case before the High Court and outlines the matter from a legal standpoint. Based on the evidence collected by his legal team and his understanding of the situation on the ground, he argues forcefully that Shah’s accounting of the blame is incorrect and describes the extent to which the Manipur government under N. Biren Singh was responsible for orchestrating the violence. Gonsalves, on behalf of his clients, is pleading with the state to arrest those organised groups which have unleashed the violence as a starting point towards peace. He also calls on the media and ordinary citizens of India to introspect and question the state of Indian democracy. This interview was recorded in Imphal on June 25, 2023.