'Visit Manipur before space....': Congress's ISRO jibe at Modi
What's the story
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday took a swipe at a report that quoted Indian Space Research Organisation Chief S Somanath as saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be a candidate for India's first manned space mission.
In an X post, Ramesh said the PM should visit strife-torn Manipur before taking a trip to space.
This comes a day after PM Modi addressed the Manipur conflict in Parliament after protests by the opposition over his "silence" on the issue.
On Wednesday
PM's statement on Manipur in Rajya Sabha
In response to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Rajya Sabha, the PM said that "violence in Manipur is decreasing" and the government is making every effort to curb it.
He criticized the opposition for "politicizing" the sensitive issue. His statement came a day after the opposition disrupted his Lok Sabha address with relentless chants of "Manipur, Manipur" and "We want justice."
Notably, the PM has yet to visit the state since the conflict began.
Twitter Post
Check out Ramesh's post here
Before He goes into space, the non-biological Pradhan Mantri should go to Manipurhttps://t.co/ILVyolIVk2
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 4, 2024
Statement
What Somnath said in the media report
The media report in question has quoted Somanath as saying that PM Modi could be the candidate for India's first manned space mission—Gaganyaan—which is likely to be launched in 2025.
"While he [PM Modi] certainly has many other...responsibilities, developing a human spaceflight program is a capability we would like to cultivate and contribute to the Gaganyaan space program...All of us will be very...proud if we have the ability to confidently send the head of state to space," Somanath said.
Ethnic conflict
Explained: Manipur's ethnic conflict
Manipur has been embroiled in ethnic violence since May 2023 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organized in the hill districts to protest the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The Meiteis—who make up 53% of the population—are largely limited to the Imphal Valley.
In comparison, tribal-dominated hill areas reportedly cover 90% of Manipur.
Migration from Bangladesh and Myanmar has compounded the problem in Imphal. This has driven Meiteis to demand ST status to have access to tribals' lands.