Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting here on Monday with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and state ministers, senior leaders, and officials to assess the situation and plan next steps to restore normalcy in the region.
On the first day of his four-day visit to the state, Shah met with Union Minister for State Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka, among other state and federal officials. The meeting took place shortly after the Home Minister arrived in Imphal on his four-day visit to Manipur, as new violence erupted in the northeastern state a day earlier.
The meeting’s purpose was to assess the situation in Manipur and plan next steps to restore normalcy there. During his visit to Manipur, which will last until June 1, the Home Minister will hold several rounds of security meetings.
The visit was planned after five people were killed, including a Manipur Police Officer, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA’s house was vandalised, and over 1,000 arms and ammunition were allegedly looted by a mob from Manipur Rifles and IRB armouries on Sunday, while combined Central and state security forces gunned down more than 30 suspected Kuki militants in the state in the previous 48 hours.
There have also been reports of a mob stealing all weapons and ammunition from the armouries of the 7 Manipur Rifles in Khabeisoi, the 2nd Manipur Rifles in Deulahane, and the 3rd India Reserve Battalion in Thoubal.
According to security forces, fierce clashes are taking place between suspected Kuki militants and security personnel in the Imphal West district’s Kadangband and nearby Singda areas. In addition to attacking civilians in several Manipur foothills, the militants set fire to over 200 houses in three villages near Sugnu in the Kakching district late Saturday night.
On May 14-15, Home Minister Shah met with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, representatives of the Meitei and Kuki communities, and other stakeholders to review the steps taken to restore peace in the state.
Shah also met with representatives from Manipur’s Kuki Community and a group of CSOs from Mizoram.
The Home Minister reviewed the measures taken to restore peace in Manipur, which has seen violent clashes between two ethnic communities, during the meetings. He then directed strict action against the perpetrators of violence and assured the central government’s full support and assistance in ensuring long-term peace.
