Shah assured political solution within 15 days: ITLF
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIO
Churachandpur, May 30 2023:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held a closed door meeting with leaders of CSOs and in-tellectuals of Churachandpur on the prevailing civil unrest.
Amit Shah assured the trib-al community of a "political solution within 15 days", claimed representatives of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) after meeting Amit Shah on Tuesday.
The home minister visited Churachandpur district and held talks with tribal as well as church leaders, including Kuki MLAs and ITLF representatives.
The ITLF representatives also submitted an 11-point charter of demands to Amit Shah during the meeting.
The ITLF demands included "separate administration" and imposition of President's Rule in Manipur.
"Union home minister Amit Shah assured a permanent political solution within 15 days," ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualjong told media persons after the meeting.
Ginza Vualzong also said that Amit Shah urged them to maintain peace for at least 15 days during which a political solution will be worked out.
He further quoted the Union Home minister as advising that the tribals need to fight back if they are attacked in order to defend themselves and save their household properties from being reduced to ashes.
Amit Shah also said that a CBI and Judicial enquiry shall be set up to find out perpetra-tors of the violence without sparing anyone and urged one and all not to cause any prob-lem, he added.
The union home minister also expressed his sympathy for the sufferings of the people.
The ITLF also demanded the sacking of the current N Biren Singh-led BJP gov-ernment and accused the Manipur government and the state's armed forces of "carrying out ethnic cleans-ing continuously since 3rd May 2023 against the tribal people".
"It is learned that the valley underground cadres disguised in Manipur police uniforms were the perpe-trators leading the endless horrific crime against the tribals," the ITLF stated in the statement.
"While the So0 groups are in their designated camps, the poor tribal vil-lagers defending their vil-lages with just a handful of single barrels guns and a few licensed guns were collected from them by the Army leaving them helpless or leaving them to die at the hands of the state-led ma-chinery," the ITLF added.
While 'condemning' the Manipur government, the organisation also urged the central government urged more forces in our vil-lages to protect our innocent tribal villagers whose lives are in danger".
Soon after his arrival at the helipad of 36 Assam Ri-fles located at Headquarters Veng, the Union Home Min-ister headed to 27 Sector, Assam Rifles at Tuibong and held closed door meetings with CSO leaders.
After about an hour-long discussion with var-ious tribal leaders, Amit Shah met intellectuals and prominent tribal citizens and heard their opinions to bring back normalcy in the State.
Five MLAs of Churachan-dpur and Pherzawl namely LM Khaute, Paolienlal Ha-okip, Letzamang Haokip, Chinlunthang and Ngur-sanglur Sanate accorded a warm welcome to the Union Home Minister at the he-lipad.
Amit Shah was accom-panied by Union MoS for Home Nityanand Rai, BJP national spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra, Union Home Secretary AK Bhalla, Assam Rifles DG Lt Gen Pradeep Chandran Nair, IB director Tapan Kumar Deka, DGP Manipur P Doungel and other Central government officials.
Mention may be made that the government an-nounced compensation of Rs 10 lakh to those who died during the ethnic conflict.
A member of the family of those who died in the rioting will also be provided a job.
The compensation amount will be borne equally by the centre and the state, officials said.
The decision was taken at a meeting between the Union Home Minister and chief minister N Biren Singh, on Monday late night.
Manipur has been hit by ethnic conflict for nearly a month and witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.
The death toll from clash-es has gone up to 80, officials said.
The meeting also decid-ed to ensure that essential items such as petrol, LPG gas, rice and other food products will be made avail-able in large quantities to cool down prices.
(With inputs from agen-cies) .
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