New Delhi: The Centre is set to take some important decisions related to ethnic strife-torn Manipur, chief minister N Biren Singh said on Saturday after meeting Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
Singh said matters of importance concerning the northeastern state were discussed with the home minister. He, however, did not divulge details of the decisions the Centre was set to take.
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“Engaging in a profound exchange, we discussed matters of paramount importance concerning our state. Rest assured, the Government of India is set to take some important decisions in the interests of the people of Manipur,” Singh said in a post on X, sharing a photo with Shah.
Later in the day, the Manipur chief minister also held a meeting with senior officials of the ministry of home affairs (MHA) at the North Block of the Central Secretariat in the national capital.
“Held a productive discussion on the strategic measures undertaken for fostering peace in Manipur,” Singh said.
Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic violence between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis since May 3 last year, with other communities increasingly sucked into the violence that has continued unabated. Over the past eight months, at least 210 people have lost their lives, and over 50,000 people have been displaced.
More than half the state’s population of 3.2 million belongs to the Meitei community, who primarily inhabit in valley regions in and around Imphal, while the Kuki community, who make up about 43%, live mostly in the hills.
In the last few months, militant groups from both the warring communities have joined the conflict, targeting police and security forces. According to officials on ground, extortion cases have become rampant as criminals and militant groups still are in the possession of thousands of arms looted from police armouries towards the beginning of the ethnic violence in May-June last year.
“It is unclear what the important decisions could be,” a senior Manipur government official said, requesting anonymity.
The chief minister will return to Manipur on Sunday.
Amid ongoing violence in different pockets of Manipur, both Kuki and Meitei groups have come up with separate demands.
Meiteis have demanded the abrogation of the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement — the tripartite agreement signed by the Centre and the Manipur government in August 2008 with 25 Kuki militant groups — with Kuki militant groups claiming the latter have joined the violence. Besides, the community has also backed the proposal of fencing state’s border with Myanmar and removal of Assam Rifles from Manipur. Meitei legislators also urged the Centre to remove Kukis from the scheduled tribes (ST) list and to set 1951 as the base year for implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the northeastern state.
The Kuki groups, on the other hand, have remained steadfast in their demand for a “separate administration”, a demand vehemently opposed by the Meiteis. Kuki-Zo legislators have also urged the Centre not to abrogate the SoO and retain Assam Rifles for the safety of tribal people.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
