Centre set to take important decisions: Biren
Source: Chronicle News Service
New Delhi/Imphal, February 03 2024:
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday said the Centre is set to take "some important decisions" in the interests of the people of the state.
He said this after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi where he discussed "matters of paramount importance" concerning Manipur.
Biren Singh met Shah as sporadic ethnic violence continued in Manipur.
"Today, I had the esteemed privilege of meeting with the Hon'ble Union Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah Ji in New Delhi.
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," Biren Singh wrote on X .
The chief minister, however, did not indicate what the decisions could be.
According to informed sources, CM Biren deliberated on the ongoing conflict in the state between Meetei and Kuki communities during his meeting with Amit Shah.
The CM, who was summoned to the national capital on Friday, met the union home minister around noon and acknowledged support extended by the centre with regard to the nine-month long conflict and ways to put an end to the violence.
The CM also expressed his gratitude to the Union Minister for his commitment to working collaboratively for the betterment of Manipur and playing an instrumental role in bringing the way for a more peaceful and united future in the Northeast.
Later, CM Biren along with education minister Th Basanta Kumar and Manipur Legislative Assembly speaker Th Satyabrata inspected progress of the Manipur Bhawan being constructed at Dwarka in New Delhi.
Biren will be returning to Imphal on Sunday morning, the sources added.
Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meetei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Since then over 200 people have been killed in the continuing violence.
While a section of Kukis have demanded a separate administration or separation from the Manipur government, the Meetei groups are dead against it and warned legislators against any such design and asked them to foil such attempts.
Mention may be made that in May 2023, Amit Shah visited the state and met several leaders including CM Biren, and had promised a solution within 15 days, but that promise did not bear fruit.
In January 2024, the CM organised an all-party meeting which included all leaders from the Imphal Valley and even the Naga leaders, but no Kuki leader was present in the meeting.
Subsequently, on January 24, Imphal Valley leaders also met representatives of Arambai Tenggol, who submitted a charter of demands.
Cutting across party lines, the ten Kuki MLAs, including senior BJP leaders, have remained steadfast on their demand for a separate administration but while Amit Shah has refused to speak on it, CM Biren Singh has maintained that the territorial integrity of the state will not be compromised with under any circumstance.
Meeteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts as well as in the plains prior to outbreak of the violence.
Rest belong to other communities.
A series of confidence building measures were taken and that include constitution of a judicial inquiry committee, financial aids to the victims and sending additional troops.
Shah had visited the state for four consecutive days in his efforts to calm down the warring communities.
However, intermittent violence continued.
(With inputs from PTI) .
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