Centre all out to restore normalcy in Manipur — Biren Singh  

NEW DELHI/ IMPHAL— Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured that the Central government would take all possible steps to bring back normalcy in Manipur.

After meeting Shah in New Delhi, he said that the Home Minister has advised him to strengthen the work towards achieving everlasting peace and also sought the cooperation of every stakeholder in Manipur to ensure that peace prevails in the state.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister, in a series of tweets, said: “Called on Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah Ji in New Delhi today and briefed about the evolving situation on the ground in Manipur.

 “Under Amit Shah Ji’s close supervision, the State and Central Govt have been able to control the violence to a great extent in the past week. It may be noted that there has been no report of casualties due to the violence since the 13th of June.

 “Hon’ble Union HM has assured that the central government will take all possible steps to bring normalcy in Manipur.

 “Further, Amit Shah Ji advised us to strengthen our work towards achieving everlasting peace and also sought the cooperation of every stakeholder in Manipur to ensure that peace prevails in the State.

 “I was joined by BJP National Spokesperson Shri Sambit Swaraj Ji, Hon’ble MP Rajya Sabha Shri Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba Ji and Hon’ble Speaker Shri Th Satyabrata Singh Ji.”

The Manipur Chief Minister went to Delhi a day after the all party meeting was held by the Union Home Minister in Delhi.

In the Saturday’s all-party meeting, Shah reportedly told the political leaders that the government would take steps on the basis of the suggestions submitted by the political parties.

Since the ethnic violence began in Manipur on May 3, this is the Chief Minister’s second visit to New Delhi to hold meetings with Central ministers and leaders.

On May 14,  Biren Singh, accompanied by Power, Forest and Agriculture Minister Biswajit Singh and state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, had visited Delhi and held a series of meetings with Union Home Minister and other central leaders.

Several political parties, including the main opposition Congress, have been demanding imposition of President’s rule while the organisations belonging to the Kuki tribal community have been demanding removal of Biren Singh from his post.

Various organisations belonging to the Meitei community have been demanding drastic actions against the Kuki militants, who reportedly violated the ground rules of the tripartite Suspension of Agreement (SoO), signed on August 22, 2008 with the Central and the state governments.

Several civil society organisations, belonging to the Meitei community, and various political parties have claimed that after the state government started taking actions against the drug menace, smuggling and infiltration from Myanmar, illegal poppy cultivation, the Kuki organisations became irritated and started various agitations.

Last week, Biren Singh said that infiltrators from across the border and militants have caused the ongoing unrest in the state and “it is not an enmity between two communities”.

Manipur shares around 400 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

The horrific ethnic violence in Manipur, which broke out on May 3, and had so far claimed over 120 lives and injured over 400 people of different communities besides destroying a number of varied private and government properties, houses and vehicles.

During the violence, the militants, miscreants and mobs looted thousands of arms and lakhs of ammunition from various police stations and security posts.

The combined security forces have so far recovered 1,100 arms and 13,702 pieces of various types of ammunition.

Congress demands removal of Manipur CM

The Congress on Sunday again reiterated the demand of removal of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for failing to control violence in the state and also sought that all armed groups must be disarmed immediately.

The Congress also again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his continuing silence on violence.

In a series of tweets, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: “Today, I participated in the National Convention on Peace in Manipur organised by 10 like-minded political parties of Manipur to share my thoughts on the political, administrative and humanitarian disasters in the state of Manipur.”

Hitting out at the Prime Minister, he said: “While Manipur is burning, the Prime Minister is silent, the Home Minister is ineffective, and the Chief Minister is non-functional. To move ahead, the Chief Minister should be replaced immediately and two fundamental steps need to be taken, first disarm all armed groups ruthlessly without any discrimination and second begin the process of creating an atmosphere of trust, harmony and reconciliation.

 “We live in hope that Manipur which was an example of Unity through Diversity in India is brought back to the path of normalcy at the earliest”.

His remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday held an all-party meeting to discuss the Manipur situation.

The Congress and other opposition parties had, after the all-party meeting, demanded the immediate removal of the Manipur Chief Minister.

Manipur has witnessed violence since May 3 and over 100 people have died while thousands have been forced to flee their home and stay in relief camps.