National Desk, 2 June: Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Manipur has made a lot of progress in restoring peace and normalcy in the state. During his visit, Shah held several meetings with the Manipur Cabinet, Kuki tribal leaders, security forces, administration officials. The meeting which was led by Amit Shah emphasized the government’s responsibility in maintaining law and order, providing relief and resolving the ongoing caste-ethnic conflict. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the main activities of the Home Minister’s visit to Manipur so far are briefly mentioned here.
Review of security situation
Home Minister reviewed the security situation in Manipur along with senior officials of Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFS), Indian Army. He called for improvement in law and order and restoration of normalcy in the state and added that peace and prosperity in Manipur is the top priority.
Fund for families
The cabinet meeting also decided to expedite relief measures for the affected persons and their families. A compensation of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the families of those who lost their lives in the conflict and a job will be provided for a family member. The cabinet has also promised a relief package of 20 tonnes of rice for the tribal communities of Manipur.
Effective Communication
Internet services were suspended by the state government during a period of ever-escalating violence. In the cabinet meeting held in the last two days, it was decided to reopen the telephone line of BSNL to remove rumours and facilitate clear and effective communication.
Guidelines for strict action
Minister Amit Shah has directed officials to deal sternly with activities that disturb peace in Manipur. Cabinet has decided to initiate a probe into the violence through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Meetings over the violence
Minister Shah held a meeting with officials of Cabinet, Governor, Security Forces and Administration of Manipur. Cabinet also held discussions with civil society organisations, women leaders and student organisations. Chairing an all-party meeting in Imphal on the second day of the visit, Shah urged political leaders to contribute to restore normalcy and communal harmony in the state.
These meetings and discussions focused on assessing the security situation, engaging with civil society organizations and political leaders and gathering insights from eminent personalities. The decisions and measures taken were aimed at addressing the challenges faced by Manipur and working towards restoring peace, stability and prosperity in the state.
Assurances and actions
Reiterated the government’s responsibility to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur and ensure that it does not have any impact on it. Cabinet called upon civil society leaders to actively participate in bringing peace to the state. They assured a political solution to the situation and directed a CBI probe into the violence.
Regarding ethnic clashes and protests in Manipur
A decision taken by the Manipur High Court on April 27 had led to violence in Manipur. The court ordered that the Meitei which constitutes 53 per cent of the state’s population and forms the dominant population will be included in the Scheduled Tribe list.
As a result of this decision, most of the tribal Kukis protested and came out on the streets on May 3. They organised tribal solidarity rallies to express their opposition to the court’s decision. Prior to the violence, there was tension over the eviction of people from Kuki village from the reserve forest area leading to small protests.
Army has been deployed in the area since May 4 in view of the situation. Thousands of security personnel have been patrolling large towns and remote villages. Curfew has been imposed in various parts of the state, and internet services have been suspended for more than three weeks.