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Shah likely to review Manipur situation with CM Singh, officials in meet today
Union home minister is likely to hold a virtual meeting and review the Manipur situation with top government officials posted in the state on Tuesday
Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to hold a virtual meeting and review the Manipur situation with top government officials posted in the state on Tuesday, officials aware of the matter said on Monday.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh and senior officers of the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, police chief, and state government officials will brief the home minister on the law and order situation, the officials said.
“Besides discussing the law and order situation, the participants of the meeting will also discuss the recent killings in Ukhrul, the road blockades that began on Monday, the return of looted arms and weapons, the status of cases that have been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the rehabilitation of the displaced people,” an official said, seeking anonymity.
The official said the proposal of tribal bodies for a mass burial (the proposed burial is pending, and the tribal body is yet to confirm an alternative site) of the victims of the violence is also likely to be discussed.
“All top government officials will attend the meeting. The home minister will join the meeting via video conferencing,” the official said.
Since May 3, Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes, primarily between the majority Meiteis, the dominant community in Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kukis, who mostly reside in the hill districts. At least 160 people have died and nearly 50,000 displaced so far.
Clashes first broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur town after Kuki groups protested against a proposed tweak to the state’s reservation matrix, granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders.
Currently all the paramilitary forces – the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Assam Rifles – and the Indian Army are posted to restore normalcy in the state.
Shah had earlier visited the northeastern state – from May 29 to June 1 – to review the situation. He also chaired an all-party meeting in June to discuss the violence.
In July, the Union home minister directed the chief minister Singh to take strict action against those involved in an incident where three women were paraded naked, and one of them gang raped, in the state on May 4. This case is among 20cases that CBI is probing.
On June 25, chief minister Singh met Shah in Delhi to discuss the situation in the violence-hit state, and said the Centre has advised his government to “seek cooperation” of all stakeholders for restoration of peace and normalcy in the region.
