Amit Shah Warns Of Stern Punishment To Those Responsible For Manipur Violence

NEW DELHI: On Monday, Manipur was promised the full cooperation of the federal government in maintaining unbroken calm. Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered strict action against those responsible for the violence in Manipur.

According to an official release, Shah had a series of meetings with the chief executive of Manipur, N Biren Singh, members of the Meitei and Kuki groups, and other stakeholders to assess the steps done in the previous two days to restore peace to the state.

During the discussions, the home minister reviewed the steps done to bring about peace in Manipur, which has been the scene of frequent confrontations between two ethnic groupings.

The Manipur chief minister, four cabinet ministers, and a Rajya Sabha MP were among those present during the meeting.

Shah met separately with representatives of the Meitei and Kuki ethnic groups from Manipur and a collection of Mizoram civil society organisations. A number of local agitations have been sparked by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest area.

A message of peace was also promoted by Shah, who urged negotiations with all parties. Apparently, he gave his word that justice would be served.

In addition to promising total support and assistance from the federal government for maintaining enduring peace, the home minister issued strong instructions against the violent offenders.

He gave the assurance that the state will defend its various populations by taking all necessary steps.

According to the statement, Shah emphasised the importance of hastening the relief and rehabilitation processes in order to reduce peoples' suffering.

After a "Tribal Solidarity March" was organised in the 10 hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's quest for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, violent skirmishes broke out in the northeastern state.

Tension over the eviction of Kuki people from reserve forest area, which had sparked a number of local agitations, preceded the violence.

Officials estimated that 1,700 homes, including places of worship, were burned down as a result of the ethnic violence, which claimed at least 73 lives and injured 231 others.

Meiteis make up 53% of Manipur's population and largely live in the Imphal Valley, whilst the Nagas and Kukis, two tribal groups, make up 40% of the population and live in the hill regions.

Following recent violent conflicts between the Meiteis and tribals and in response to the chief minister's travel to Delhi, 10 tribal MLAs from the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi group in Manipur made the demand for a separate administration for their territory.

The BJP has seven legislators out of the ten, the Kuki People's Alliance (KPA) has two, and the Independent Party has one. The saffron party-led NDA is made up of the two KPA and independent MLAs.

However, CM N Biren Singh on Monday rebuffed the demand made by the 10 MLAs for a separate administration for the districts of the north-eastern state that are dominated by the Kuki people. He reaffirmed that Manipur's territorial integrity will be protected.

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