Amit Shah to visit violence-hit Manipur from May 29, calls all groups for talks

Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day-long visit to violence-hit Manipur from May 29 for talks with all groups and try to restore peace in the Northeastern state.

This was announced by Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai in Imphal, who visited the trouble-torn state on Thursday, where 74 persons have died and over 35,000 others have been displaced due to the ethnic riot since May 3. Rai is the first union minister to have visited Manipur since the violence broke out.

Addressing a function in Guwahati earlier, Shah said that he would visit Manipur soon and called all groups to engage in talks with the Centre and Manipur government for restoring peace. "We worked very hard in the past six years to bring peace to Manipur. There was no incident of violence and blockade. But the present violence took place following a judgement of a court. But we must try to restore peace through dialogue. I want to appeal to all groups to give up the sense of distrust and engage in talks with the Centre and Manipur government to restore peace," Shah said.

Shah also said that all those involved in the violence and killings would be dealt with as per the law and justice would be provided to the victims. The Home Minister laid the foundation stone of a campus of the National Forensic Science University, in Guwahati.

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Shah's announcement came a day after the North East Congress Coordination Committee (NECCC) asked why no central minister visited Manipur even as the state was burning for the past 22 days. The Congress had earlier demanded President's Rule in Manipur alleging that the BJP government in the state failed to restore peace in the past 22 days.

Call for talks:

Shah's call for talks to all groups assumes significance as Kuki groups including 10 Kuki MLAs already denied the possibility of talks saying the communities are still in shock. The MLAs, including seven belonging to the ruling BJP, moved Shah with a request for a "separate administration" for the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-dominated areas in Manipur. Some of the MLAs, according to sources, are now in neighbouring Mizoram.

The security situation in Manipur has remained a concern since May 3 when violence broke out in the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district. The violence started after a protest organised by tribal organisations against a move to offer ST status to the Hindu Meitei community, who constitute about 53 per cent of Manipur's population. Tribals, particularly the Kukis are against ST status to the Meiteis saying the same would take away their share of benefits.

Army and other central security forces controlled the clashes but the stray incidents of violence and arson has still remained a concern. The ban on mobile and broadband internet is still in force while the NH-2, which connects Imphal with Dimapur in Nagaland has remained blocked by Kuki protesters.