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The Modi government of India has recently defeated a no-confidence motion in the lower Parliament led by the opposition Congress-led alliance, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance or I.N.D.I.A., following the violent outburst due to ethnic conflict in Manipur. Ended in the walkout of the opposition party from Parliament after three days of debate from 8th to 10th August, PM Modi and his party had no difficulty winning the no-confidence vote in Lokshobha, having the majority of seats from BJP-led N.D.A. alliance parties in Parliament. 331 MPs make up the N.D.A.'s impressive majority, while the B.J.P. holds 303 seats and the opposition I.N.D.I.A. has a combined strength of 144. There are 70 M.P.s from non-aligned parties in the Lower House.

A strategic parliamentary tool, the No confidence motion is used to express the lack of confidence in the government that compels the ruling party or alliance to prove a majority in Parliament. The ruling party is made to step down from the government if lost in the motion.

But what led to this motion in India is rather a tragedy of the ethnic minority people in Manipur when a video of a group of people parading and assaulting two naked  Kuki women, raped and abused by them, went viral on the internet.

The violence started spreading through the state after the conflict started between two ethnic groups. Meitei, a predominantly Hindu ethnic group, and Kuki-Zo group, who are the Christian majority, clashed over the plans to recognize Meitei people as Scheduled Tribe (S.T.), a status given to the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India that Kuki-Zo people already had. The status of scheduled tribes grants them quotas in government jobs and college admissions, giving them a chance to prosper. Kuki-Zo people protested, fearing the reduction of their entitlements, which eventually led to violence from rallies all over the states. Things quickly got out of hand with loot in the Police Station, Rape of women, and More than 180 people killed.

The opposition party, Congress, initiated the no-confidence motion saying PM Modi has failed to address the situation in Manipur. They had to break the silence of PM Modi about the Manipur Issue.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who returned to the Parliament after almost four months, participated in the discussion, criticizing the efforts of the Government in Manipur. They also brought the matter of unrest in Haryana and Kashmir to the discussion addressing the government's lack of efficiency in restoring peace in the states.

PM Modi spoke in the Parliament on the last day of the motion and accused the opposition of defaming the country through this motion. He also pointed out the problems the Manipur people faced during the rule of the opposition party and assured that his government, from the central to the state level, is working to ensure peace in Manipur while punishing the accused.

The government of the ruling party, B.J.P., has seen its second no-confidence motion in Nine years' time, and the first one was in 2018, moved by Telugu Desam Party. Since India's independence, 29 no-confidence motions have moved in Lok Shabha till present against eight prime ministers. Out of them, three Prime Ministers were defeated in the motions.

Kazi Israt Jahan, Research Intern at CGS