New Delhi: On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting in Delhi to review the security situation in Manipur amid reports of fresh violence in the state. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Shah conducted a comprehensive review and directed agencies to prevent further violence, deploying additional Central forces if necessary. He emphasized strict legal action against perpetrators of violence.
Shah also reviewed conditions in relief camps, ensuring adequate food, water, medicine, and other basic amenities, and directed the Manipur Chief Secretary to provide proper health and education facilities for displaced people. The MHA statement highlighted the importance of a coordinated approach to resolving the ethnic conflict, with Shah asserting the need for dialogue between the Meitei and Kuki communities to bridge the ethnic divide. The Central government remains actively supportive of Manipur’s efforts to bolster security.
Chaired a meeting to review the security situation in Manipur with senior officials from various agencies.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 17, 2024
Our government, under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, is firmly committed to ensuring peace and harmony in Manipur. Directed the local authorities to enhance… pic.twitter.com/g9Zb6ZMuu5
Key officials, including Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau Chief Tapan Deka, and Army Chief General Manoj Pande, attended the meeting. The meeting followed a briefing from Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uike to Shah about the situation in the state.
Manipur has experienced sporadic ethnic violence since May 3 last year, initially sparked by clashes during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union protesting the Meitei community’s demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category. Recent violence saw several houses burned in Kotlen and around 600 people from Jiribam seeking shelter in Assam’s Cachar district.
The meeting also took place a week after RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat expressed concern over the ongoing violence in Manipur, highlighting the need to prioritize peace and stability in the state.