Moreh communities yearning for peace, says Shah
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, May 31 2023:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday vis-ited the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh in Manipur and met Kuki civil society groups, besides reviewing security measures in place.
Shah, who flew into Imphal on Monday night, also visited Kangpokpi district in the after-noon, and met various groups there as well, officials said.
"Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri @AmitShah met with a Kuki delegation in Moreh, Manipur, today," Union Home Ministry Spokesperson tweeted.
He also met with the repre-sentatives of different commu-nities including the handful of Tamil traders who live in Moreh, the official said in a separate post on the micro-blogging site.
"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.
Shah also held a security review meeting at Moreh in Tengnoupal district with the officials from various central and state forces, he added.
"Took stock of the security situation with senior officials in Moreh (Manipur)," Shah tweeted.
He stated that the Kuki and other communities in Moreh have supported the initiatives undertaken by the government to restore peace and normalcy in the state.
Besides interacting with the representatives of the tribal communities at Moreh in Ma-nipur, the union home minister also took stock of the security situation with senior security officials posted there.
Reiterating their demand for separate administration, Kuki CSOs submitted a mem-orandum with an eight-point charter of demands to Amit Shah, which include, imme-diate withdrawal of Manipur Police Commando from Moreh, declare Meitei radical groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun as outlawed organi-sations, stop court hearings related to the present conflict in Imphal, arrange chopper service between Moreh to Aizawl and Guwahati, ensure uninterrupted telecom services in Moreh, arrange transporta-tion for safe supply of essen-tial of goods and extend relief items directly from the Centre to Moreh.
"During the meeting, Union Home minister Amit Shah has assured unto withdraw the po-lice commandos from Moreh during his stay in Manipur," president of the Kuki Students' Organisation (00) in Teng-noupal, Thangboi Lhungdim told EastMojo over the phone.
According to Lhungdim, while urging the community not to feel inferior or consid-er themselves as minority, the home minister is learnt to have promised the arrangement for chopper service from Moreh to Aizawl and Guwahati from June 2 onwards for those who require medical attention.
Shah also assured the groups of providing 30,000 metric tonne of rice to TAnn.h and rhnrarhanelnnr in addition to the relief provided by Mantniir anvernment.
The joint CSOs who were part of the closed door meet-ing included the Hill Tribal Council of Moreh, Kuki Chiefs Association of Tengnoupal, KSO Tengnoupal, Moreh Youth Club, Kuki Women for Human Rights, Manipuri Muslim Coun-cil Moreh, Nepali Gorkha Samaj Deva Samiti, March and Tamil Sangam Moreh.
The home minister is on a four-day visit to Manipur and making efforts to restore peace to the state.
Shah had also held a securi-ty review meeting with senior officials of the Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Army in Imphal on Tuesday.
'This is the first time the home minister is visiting the north-eastern state since the ethnic clashes began in Manipur on May 3.The state witnessed a sud-den spurt in clashes and firing betweenmilitants 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.
(With inputs from EastMojo & PTI) .