Speaker presents Manipur's case before Shah
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 09 2024: Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata has personally met and urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to pay immediate attention to the Manipur crisis which erupted on May 3, 2023 and remains unresolved till date.

Satyabrata held a meeting with Amit Shah at the latter's room at Parliament House, New Delhi at around 12.20 pm today.

The Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker presented a detailed account of the misery and difficulties faced by the people of Manipur, specially Meitei community on account of the protracted violent crisis to the Union Home Minister.

The Speaker also highlighted the people's wish during the meeting which lasted for around 15 minutes.

Talking to The Sangai Express over telephone, Th Satyabrata who is presently at Delhi said that he gave a detailed account of the extreme misery being suffered by the people of Manipur on account of the 19 months old crisis to the Union Home Minister.

Pointing out that the protracted violent crisis has adversely affected the State's economy and it will only grow worse if the crisis persists, Satyabrata asked the Union Home Minister to take up necessary steps at the earliest so as to bring an end to the crisis.

The people's misery has been compounded by frequent bandhs and blockades on Imphal-Dimapur highway and Imphal-Jiribam highway, the Speaker said before urging Amit Shah to take up effective steps and see that both the highways are freed from the scourge of bandhs and blockades.

Confined within the valley areas and denied access to National Highways, the Meitei community has been suffering untold misery for the past 19 months, Satyabrata told Amit Shah before asking the Central Government to understand the precarious condition of the Meiteis and take up concrete actions to address this issue.

Pointing out that all students and other people of Manipur are compelled to travel by air in case they must go outside the State as they are likely to be killed if they travel on National Highways, Satyabrata told Amit Shah that compulsory air travel has become a huge financial burden to a large number of poor families.

A large number of families who earned their livelihood by doing small businesses and petty trade at Moreh have been left without any source of income after the violent crisis erupted, Satyabrata said.

He then urged the Union Home Minister to take up necessary measures so that people of all communities can resume trade and business activities on the Imphal-Moreh route.

Highlighting how the violent crisis have uprooted tens of thousands of people including IDPs from their traditional occupations and deprived them of sources of income, the Speaker urged the Union Home Minister to initiate special measures for economic alleviation of the people of Manipur.

"Considering the fact that the Centre has done very little till date to bring an end to the Manipur crisis despite repeated appeals by the State Government, I highlighted the misery as well as the wishes of the people to the Union Home Minister", the Speaker said.

With a large number of security forces deployed across Manipur, it appears there is peace in the State though temporary when there is cessation of violent activities but no one feels secure as they have no idea what will happen next moment, Satyabrata told the Union Home Minister.

He then urged Amit Shah to bring a permanent solution.

He also urged the Centre to take up concrete steps so that all the people currently living in relief or designated camps can go back to their homes.

After listening to the Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker, the Union Home Minister claimed that the Centre has been working to bring peace in Manipur at the earliest.

Amit Shah also claimed that the Centre has initiated several measures to ensure uninterrupted movement of goods and services on the National Highways of Manipur.

The Union Home Minister reportedly told Satyabrata that peace will return to Manipur at the earliest.

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