GUWAHATI: In the backdrop of the ethnic violence in Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday said there was no fight between communities and there should not be any.
Talking to journalists on the sidelines of an event in Imphal, he appealed to people to work towards restoring normalcy in the state. “Past is past. Our mission now is to restore normalcy. There was no fight between communities and there should not be any. It (fight) is purely with the government. When any government anywhere tries to do something, there will always be acceptance or resistance,” Singh said.
He did not elaborate, however, the violence is believed to have its genesis in the drives against alleged encroachment of forest land and poppy cultivation in the hills. “Blame the government (if there is anything). We will rectify. Please don’t make it an issue between communities,” the CM said.
Recently, all 10 Kuki legislators, including seven from the ruling BJP, had flagged the “separate administration” demand for the community.
Asked if the government will reach out to them, Singh said, “The Kuki MLAs are a part of our family. Manipur is unique. It is a small state but it has 34-35 recognised tribes, including Kukis. We are all brothers and sisters.”
Meanwhile, the state decided to distribute pens, pencils, notebooks, uniforms and sports material to 4,747 school children displaced by the violence. They are among 26,000 people who are still lodged in 178 temporary relief camps. The state’s education minister Basantakumar Singh said the government would ask teachers to volunteer for the children.