NEW DELHI/IMPHAL: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a series of meetings with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and representatives of Meitei and Kuki communities as well as other stakeholders to review the measures taken for restoring peace in the state, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Monday.
Shah held a meeting with the Manipur CM, four of his Cabinet colleagues and the Rajya Sabha MP in New Delhi on Sunday. Later, the Home Minister also met representatives of the Meitei community on Sunday. Shah also held a meeting with the representatives of the Kuki community from Manipur and a group of CSOs from Mizoram on Monday.
During the meetings, the Home Minister reviewed the measures taken to restore peace in Manipur which has witnessed violent clashes between two ethnic communities. He directed strict action against the perpetrators of violence and assured complete support and help of the central government for ensuring lasting peace. Shah assured that the government would take all measures to protect various communities in the state and urged discussion with all factions and spread the message of peace and assured that justice would be done. Shah also stressed expediting the process of relief and rehabilitation so as to minimise the suffering of the people.
Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday rejected the demand raised by 10 tribal MLAs for a “separate administration”, equivalent to separate state, comprising the Kuki tribal-dominated districts of Manipur.
“The territorial integrity of Manipur would be protected. The Central government is also strongly against any division of Manipur,” he told the media here after returning from Delhi.
Ten tribal MLAs belonging to the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi groups indirectly demanded a “separate state” for the tribals on Friday in the wake of recent violent clashes between the non-tribal Meiteis and the tribals. Of the 10 MLAs, five belong to the BJP, two each from Janata Dal-United and Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) and one an Independent.
Singh said that measures would be taken to ensure that the Kuki militants, who had signed a peace pact and Suspension of Operations (SoO), return to their designated camps and stay in these camps all the time. The Centre and the Manipur government signed the tripartite agreement and SoO with the three militant outfits– the Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA)– on August 22, 2008.
Government officials accused the Kuki militants of inciting Kuki tribals encroachers against the government, which has been evicting the tribals from the forest land and destroying poppy cultivation and these actions said to be a precursor to the ethnic violence from May 3. The Chief Minister also appealed to people not to hold demonstrations or rallies in view of the prevailing situation of the state. He said that the priority of his government is to restore peace, harmony and normalcy in the state. He also directed the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendent of Police of various districts to ensure that the properties of those who fled their homes due to the ethnic violence are protected and not looted by the miscreants. (Agencies)
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