Union Home Minister Amit Shah In Violence Hit Manipur: In his efforts to bring back peace in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in the northeastern state on Tuesday and directed the concerned security officers to strictly deal with any activity disturbing peace in the region. He also met various Meitei and Kuki groups, which expressed their commitment to peace and assured that they would work for restoring normalcy in the trouble-torn state.
As Manipur continues to reel under ethnic unrest, Shah, who is in the violence-hit state to try and restore peace by hammering out a solution between the warring communities, is expected to hold several meetings with stakeholders on the day they of his visit to the northeastern state.
As per his schedule, the Union Home Minister will visit Moreh and Kangpokpi areas today. He will interact with the delegations of various local groups in Moreh followed by meeting with civil society organisations in Kangpokpi. The Union Minister will also hold a press conference later in the day.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Congress will also reach the violence-hit state today.
Manipur Violence Latest Updates:
▶Thirteen sports personalities and medal winners in international meets on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to restore peace and harmony in Manipur at the earliest and to take stern action against Kuki militants, warning they will otherwise return their medals and awards.
▶”Paramilitary forces might have been reluctant to prevent Kuki terrorists from attacking innocent civilians,” claimed the signatories, including Arjuna award winner weightlifter Kunjarani Devi, former Indian women football team captain Oinam Bem Bem Devi, boxer L Sarita Devi, Dhyanchand awardee Anita Chanu , Olympian judoka Likmabam Shushila Devi, Olympic medalist Mirabai Chanu, and Dronacharya awardee (boxing) L. Ibomcha Singh.
▶Shah on Tuesday held a security review meeting with senior officials of Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Army and said peace and prosperity of Manipur are the government’s top priority and instructed them to strictly deal with any activities that disturb the peace.
▶Beginning his day with a meeting with a group of Meitei women leaders (Meira Paibi) in Imphal and subsequent meetings with prominent citizens and civil society group, the home minister also travelled to the Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district where he met prominent persons and a delegation of civil society organisations.
▶According to a home ministry spokesperson, Shah also had a (separate) meeting with prominent personalities in Imphal in the morning who assured their commitment to peace and also conveyed that they would work towards restoring peace in the state.
▶The home minister also had a separate meeting with political leaders of Manipur.
▶Shah met political and social leaders from the Kuki community to understand their grievances and find ways to bring peace to the northeastern state, which has witnessed a series of clashes between Meiteis and Kukis. He held three rounds of talks with various groups such as Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) and other civil society organisations. He also met five Kuki MLAs from the BJP.
▶”We demanded total separation from Manipur — both political and geographical. We also sought President’s Rule as the law and order has totally collapsed in the state,” ITLF secretary Muan Tombing told PTI.
▶The Home Minister on his part, requested the Kuki society to maintain peace for the “next 15 days” with an assurance of sending more security personnel for the safety of common people, he added. Asked why Shah mentioned only “15 days”, Tombing said, “He told us that the CBI will be entrusted with carrying out a detailed probe to find out the reasons behind this prolonged clash. Besides, a judicial enquiry will also be announced.”
▶Earlier in the day, the government announced it will provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of those who died in the ethnic conflict and a job to a family member. The compensation amount will be borne equally by the Centre and the state, an official release said.
▶The decision was taken at a meeting between the union Home minister and Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the presence of the council of ministers on Monday night.
▶Before leaving for Churachandpur, he interacted with a group of prominent personalities, intellectuals, retired army officers as well as civil servants. The delegation expressed their commitment to peace and assured that they would together contribute to paving the way to restore normalcy in Manipur. The delegates also urged the home minister for effective intervention to restore peace and normalcy.
▶Later in the evening, Shah, along with Chief Minister N Biren Singh, held a security review meeting with senior officials. He also held an all-party meeting in Imphal.
▶With reference to the demand of 10 tribal MLAs (including seven from the ruling BJP) and other tribal leaders for a separate state for the tribals, Shah assured the all-party meeting that the territorial integrity of Manipur will not be affected at any cost, and appealed to the civil society leaders to take an active role in restoring peace in the state
▶The chief minister, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka attended all the meetings with Shah. Bhalla and Deka are travelling with Shah.
▶Shah is on a four-day visit to Manipur during which he will hold several rounds of security meetings to assess situation and plan further steps to restore normalcy, sources said.
▶This is the first time the home minister is visiting the northeastern state since the ethnic clashes began in Manipur on May 3.
▶The state witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.
▶The death toll from clashes has gone up to 80 while the number of injured is over 300, officials said.
The ethnic violence first broke out after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.