NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Centre would talk to the warring groups in Manipur -- Meiteis and Kukis -- and ensure that the ethnic divide is bridged at the earliest. On Monday, he held a high-level meeting to review the security situation in violence-hit Manipur amidst reports of fresh clashes in the northeastern state.
The Home Minister was given a detailed briefing on the prevailing situation in the state by top security functionaries. Officials said Shah assured them that the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) would be increased if required and directed them to ensure strategic deployment of forces to restore peace and tranquility in the troubled state. He also asked them to take strict legal action against those who indulge in violence, they added.
Shah asserted that the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “is fully committed to ensure safety and security of all citizens in the state”.
The Home Minister, while reviewing the prevailing situation at relief camps, directed the chief secretary of the state to ensure proper health and education facilities for the displaced people and also their rehabilitation.
Shah took stock of the situation in the state a day after Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey had called on him here. It is believed that Uikey apprised him about the law and order situation in Manipur.
There were reports of fresh violence in capital Imphal and Jiribam recently, officials said, adding that the Centre is worried over the violence spreading to new areas like Jiribam, which has been by and large peaceful in the past one year since the ethnic clashes erupted in May 2023.
During the meeting, Manipur government representatives said that adequate forces were deployed in the areas where fresh incidents of violence were reported.
Though Chief Minister N Biren Singh was not present during the meeting, Security Advisor to the Manipur government Kuldiep Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh and Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi participated in the deliberations on behalf of the state government.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi and other senior officials were present at the hour-long meeting.
Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of the state to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Since then, over 220 people belonging to both Kuki and Meitei communities and security personnel have been killed in the continuing violence. Meiteis account for about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals including Nagas and Kukis constitute 40 percent and reside mainly in the hill districts.
On June 10, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur even after one year and said the situation in the strife-torn state must be addressed on priority.
