JOIN USManipur: MLAs to meet Amit Shah in Guwahati, CM N Biren Singh seeks additional central forces
As the situation in Manipur remains still tense, at least 15 MLAs belonging to all parties, barring Congress, reached Guwahati to meet Home Minister Amit Shah, where the latter is scheduled to attend two functions on Thursday afternoon.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who is facing a lot of criticism from the Kuki MLAs, meanwhile, moved the Centre with a request to rush 20 more companies of central forces to deal with the prevailing law and order situation in the state.
Sources told DH that the MLAs belonging to the ruling BJP and NPP, NPF and JD (U) reached Guwahati on Wednesday and are likely to meet Shah today. The MLAs will apprise the home Minister about the present situation and the steps required to quell the tension prevailing between the majority Meitei and Kuki community. BJP is in power in Manipur and is also backed by the NPP, NPF and JD (U).
"We will give an overview of the situation and what needs to be done to restore normalcy," a BJP MLA told DH over phone.
Interestingly, 10 Kuki MLAs, including seven belonging to BJP moved Shah earlier with a call for a "separate administration" for the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi dominated areas in Manipur, following the violence.
The meeting comes at a time Manipur reported fresh violence in Bishnupur, Imphal East and Imphal West district in the past 48 hours. One person died and three others were injured in a firing by unidentified persons in Bishnupur district while some houses were reportedly burnt down by protesters.
Biren seeks additional forces
Talking to reporters at Imphal on Wednesday, CM Biren Singh maintained that the government was taking all measures to restore peace and harmony in the State. The Government would try to ensure the safety of all communities and also to live together as before. He said that the state government submitted a proposal to the Centre for sending 20 companies of central forces. A total of 128 columns of army and other central paramilitary forces are already deployed in the state.
Singh appealed to the public to refrain from mob violence, adding that action would be initiated, as per law, against all those persons who instigated or caused violent activities, regardless of the community they belong to. "Let us forget and forgive those things which had already happened and make restoration of peace as the priority," he said.
Security situation in Manipur has remained a concern since May 3 when violence broke out in the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district. Clashes between sections of the majority Meitei and Kukis community spilled over to many other parts of Manipur since then. At least 74 people, belonging to both the communities, have died while nearly 2,000 houses have been burnt down. This resulted in the displacement of over 35,000 people.
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.