Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu late on Monday (July 17) made an emotional and heartfelt appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to restore peace in her conflict-torn home state Manipur. Chanu, who is currently preparing for the upcoming World Weightlifting Championships and Asian Games in the United States, made a heartfelt appeal to the top leaders to end the ongoing struggle since May 3.
Ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities has claimed over 150 lives in his home state of Manipur. Chanu was concerned about the impact of the conflict and violence on athletes as they are unable to train and students are unable to concentrate on their studies.
“Manipur ki sabhi praja ko bacha lijiye, aur pehle jaise shanti laiye (Please save all the people of Manipur and restore peace in the state),” Mirabai Chanu said in a video she posted on her social media handles.
“It will soon be three months since the violence started in Manipur. The authorities are yet to restore peace. Due to the violence, many athletes are not able to train and students are not able to concentrate on their studies. Many people lost their lives and many houses were burnt to ashes. Even though I am training in USA for the upcoming World Weightlifting Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games, my home is in Manipur. Even though I am not in the state, I think of home and wonder when normalcy will return. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to find a solution to the unrest at the earliest,” she further said.
Several sports luminaries from the state have vowed to return their medals if peace is not restored soon, including former India football captain Oinam Bembem Devi, weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, boxers Sarita Devi and L Ibomcha Singh. Olympic bronze medalist and former Rajya Sabha MP Mary Kom also shared a video addressed to PM Modi to stop the violence in Manipur.