National desk, 7 July: The northeast cannot flourish without peace, according to US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti who was in Kolkata on Thursday and responded to a question about the violence in Manipur by saying that the US is prepared to help in any way if requested.
Eric Garcetti noted that this is a domestic issue for India and stated that while the US does not have any strategic worries, it does have human issues. Congress leader Manish Tewari responded to the remark by stating that it is extremely uncommon for a US envoy to make a statement “of this nature about the internal affairs of India.”
Eric Garcetti stated, “You don’t have to be an Indian to care when children or individuals die in this sort of violence. We know peace is a precedent for so many good things. There has been so much progress in the Northeast and the East…We stand ready to assist in any way if asked. We know it’s an Indian matter and we pray for that peace and that it may come quickly. Because we can bring more collaboration, more projects, more investment if that peace is in place.”
Manish Tewari mentioned prior problems in the Northeast, J&K, and Punjab and claimed that the US ambassadors were circumspect. “We faced Challenges in Punjab, J&K , North East over the decades and surmounted those with sagacity & wisdom. Even when Robin Raphel would be loquacious on J&K in the 1990’s the US Ambassador’s (sic) in India were circumspect,” Manish Tewari tweeted.
Tewari added, “I doubt if the New @USAmbIndia @ericgarcetti is cognisant of the convoluted & torturous history of US-India relations & our sensitivity about interference perceived or real, well intentioned or mal intentioned into our internal affairs.”
India never lectures the US on gun violence, Manish Tewari told news agency ANI. “As far as the US ambassador is concerned, the country faces several challenges but India has never appreciated any statement for its internal matters. There is gun violence in the US & several people are killed. We never told the US to learn from us as to how to rein that in. US faces riots over racism. We never told them that we will lecture them…Perhaps it is important for the new Ambassador to take cognisance of the history of India-US relations,” the Congress MP said.
The situation in Manipur is still volatile as two months after ethnic violence between Meitei and other communities in the state erupted on May 3 with isolated acts of violence occurring there. The months-long violence has claimed the lives of over 100 people and injured over 3,000 more.