India pushes back after US envoy Garcetti says 'ready to assist' in Manipur

India has responded after US envoy to India, Eric Garcetti during a press meet in Kolkata said that Washington was 'ready to assist' in any way regarding the situation in Manipur.

“I haven’t seen those comments by the US ambassador. If he has made them, we will see…. I think we would also seek peace there and I think our agencies and our security forces are working, and our local government is working on it. I am not sure foreign diplomats would usually comment on internal developments in India but I wouldn’t like to make a comment without seeing exactly what has been said,"External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

Garcetti, who is currently in the eastern state of West Bengal, was responding to a question regarding the ongoing violence in Manipur.

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“I don't think it's about strategic concerns, it's about human concerns. You don't have to be an Indian to care when children or individuals die in this sort of violence. We know peace as a precedent for so many good things," said Garcetti.

“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," he added.

Congress surprised

Garcetti's comment drew a sharp response from Indian National Congres (INC) leader Manish Tewari, who said it was perhaps the first time he hasheard a US envoy make a comment of such nature.

“To the best of my recollection going back atleast 4 decades in Public life I have never heard an US Ambassador making a statement of this nature about the internal affairs of India. We faced Challenges in Punjab, J&K , North East over the decades and surmounted those with sagacity & wisdom," Tewari said in a tweet.

“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," he added.

Indian consulate attacked

While Garcetti talked of US intervention in India's internal affairs, the Indian consulate in San Franciso was attacked for the second time in under four months by Khalistani extremists with the authorities failing to nab the suspects.

Asked about the situation, Garcetti gave a diplomatic answer saying the Biden administration wasdoing 'everything' to ensure the safety of Indians.

"As a diplomat myself, we take any breaches seriously. People cannot be attacked or see acts of arson at places where they work. The US will do everything to protect them and their families with the help of law enforcement agencies. We will have this investigated," said Garcetti.

"I called the police chief when the attack in San Francisco took place and asked him to take immediate action. We will not leave any stone unturned to avoid future instances of violence," he added.

What is happening in Manipur?

The ethnic violence in Manipur started on May 3 when tribal groups, including the Kuki community, clashed with the ethnic majority of Meitei people — a non-tribal group, over economic benefits and quotas given to the tribes.

(With inputs from agencies)

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