Imphal, Sept 28: Manipuri film actor Rajkumar Kaiku, also known as Somendra, has tendered his resignation as a primary member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) due to his dissatisfaction with the handling of the current turmoil in Manipur and the brutal murders of two young students. Kaiku, who has acted in over 400 films, submitted his resignation letter to the state party leadership, despite top BJP leaders urging him to reconsider his decision.
A resident of the Thangmeiband area in Imphal West district, Kaiku contested the last Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate in 2019. He later joined the BJP in November 2021, significantly contributing to the party’s success in the state assembly polls held in March last year. The BJP secured an absolute majority by winning 32 seats out of the 60-member legislative house, partly thanks to Kaiku’s popularity.
Kaiku expressed his commitment to prioritize the public over the party during these challenging times. He voiced his disappointment with the government’s failure to take proactive measures to address the ongoing public unrest that has plagued the state for over four months.
Kaiku stated, “It is disheartening to notice that the government is yet to take up proactive measures to resolve the unceasing public disorder besetting the state more than four months now.” He further emphasized his desire to serve the people according to his conscience and not under the constraints of a political party.
“I joined BJP thinking that the party would bring significant change to our state with its double-engine government. Of course, it brought changes in different sectors like tourism under CM N Biren Singh. With this in mind, I thought the central leaders would act swiftly on the ongoing issue and put an end to the conflict. However, the central leaders seem to be paying no attention to the pain and misery of the people, going against the expectations of the people,” Kaiku explained.
He made it clear that he could not remain silent in the face of such indifference and that his priority was the welfare of the people. Therefore, he decided to leave the BJP and join the people’s movement for peace.
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Kaiku also called for a collective effort from all sections of society to find a lasting solution to the current turmoil, which has impeded the development that Manipur has witnessed in recent years.
Regarding his plans for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the actor-turned-politician stated that he had not made any specific decisions regarding electoral politics. However, he expressed his commitment to work alongside the people to restore normalcy in the state.
Kaiku, who has numerous Chin-Kuki friends, urged them to recognize the vested interests at play and work towards peace and normalcy in Manipur. He emphasized that not all members of the Kuki community are actively involved in the conflict and called for unity in stopping hatred and demands for a separate administration.
