On Thursday, US Ambassador to India Mr. Eric Garcetti said that the violence and killings in Manipur are a matter of “human concern”, and the US is willing to assist India in any way “if asked”. The ambassador was in Kolkata where he was holding a press meet at the American Centre when he made the remark.

Garcetti was asked during the press meet about the US government’s concern regarding the situation in Manipur, to which he answered, “Let me speak about Manipur first. We pray for peace there. When you ask us about the concern of the United States, I don’t think it’s a strategic concern, I think it’s about human concern. You don’t have to be Indian to care when you see children and individuals die in the sort of violence we see and we know that peace is the precedent for so many other good things. There have been so many good things in the North East and the East here and those can’t continue without peace.” 

He went on to say, “We stand ready to assist in any way if asked. We know it’s an Indian matter and we pray for peace and that it may come quickly. Because we can bring more collaboration, more projects, more investment if that peace is in place.” He also added, “The East of India and the North East of India matters to the United States. Its people, its places, its potential, and its future matter to us.”