Manipur: Amit Shah visits border town Moreh, reviews security; meets Kukis, other communities

MOREH (MANIPUR) — Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a review meeting in this border town on Wednesday to take stock of the security situation in the northeastern state which has been witnessing sporadic violence for nearly a month.

Shah, on the third day of his visit to the state, also met a delegation of the Kuki community and a team representing others communities, and they expressed strong support for the government’s initiatives to restore normalcy.

“Took stock of the security situation with senior officials in Moreh (Manipur),” Shah tweeted.

A home ministry spokesperson said Shah held a security review meeting in the Moreh town, bordering Myanmar.

“Held a meeting with the delegations of Kuki and other communities at Moreh. They expressed strong support for the government’s initiatives to restore normalcy in Manipur,” Shah said in another tweet.

The home minister is on a four-day visit to Manipur and making efforts to restore peace to the state.

On Tuesday, the Meitei and Kuki groups expressed commitment to peace and assured that they would work for restoring normalcy in the trouble-torn state.

Shah had also held a security review meeting with senior officials of the Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Army in Imphal on Tuesday.

He had said peace and prosperity of Manipur are the government’s top priority and instructed them to strictly deal with any activities that disturb peace.

This is the first time the home minister is visiting the northeastern state since the ethnic clashes began in Manipur on May 3.

The state witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.

The death toll from clashes has gone up to 80, officials said.

The ethnic violence first broke out after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.