Imphal: Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said on Saturday that the visit of the Indian Army’s chief at this crucial juncture shows that the Centre is “concerned about the Manipur crisis” and taking it seriously.
“During this crucial juncture, the visit of the army chief shows that they’re concerned about the Manipur crisis…The Centre is taking it seriously,” Singh said while addressing a press conference in Imphal.
The Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, accompanied by senior army commanders, was in Manipur on Friday and Saturday to oversee the prevailing security situation in the northeastern state. This is Dwivedi’s first visit to the state after taking over as army chief from General Manoj Pande on June 30.
“So, he (army chief) came along with the Eastern Command and 3 corps commanders, and we discussed many things. But the main visit was to restore the peace initiative at the earliest,” Singh said.
The CM said they also discussed the border areas and the crisis in Bangladesh. “Particularly for Manipur, he (army chief) instructed some of the senior officers to take action after due discussions with the government of Manipur,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The CM said they also discussed the border areas and the crisis in Bangladesh. “Particularly for Manipur, he (army chief) instructed some of the senior officers to take action after due discussions with the government of Manipur,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Singh also expressed his appreciation to the Assam government and its chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for acknowledging the long-standing demand of Manipuris living in Assam and for introducing an amendment bill to allow Manipuri as an Associate Official Language in four districts of Assam, including Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Hojai.
The Assam government had on Thursday proposed to make Manipuri the Associate Official Language in three districts of Barak Valley, along with Hojai in the central part of the state.
During the press conference, the Manipur chief minister also hit out at the Congress party for joining hands with the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference ahead of polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that the Congress party has repeatedly risked the nation’s unity and security to satiate its greed for power, and once they have exposed their ulterior motives by allying with the Abdullah family.
On Thursday, following Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Jammu & Kashmir, the National Conference said that his party has finalised an alliance with Congress for all 90 assembly seats in the state for the upcoming assembly elections.
The first assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir in a decade will be held in three phases on September 18 and 25, and October 1.