Tag: Manipur Violence

BJP Jan Ashirwad Yatra" in Madhya Pradesh

Shah Holds Meetings With Manipur CM, Rep’s Of Meitei, Kuki To Restore Peace

By LokMarg

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a series of meetings with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and representatives of Meitei and Kuki communities as well as other stakeholders to review the measures taken for restoring peace in the state, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Monday.

Shah held a meeting with the Manipur CM, four of his Cabinet colleagues and the Rajya Sabha MP in New Delhi on Sunday.
Later, the Home Minister also met representatives of the Meitei community on Sunday.

Shah also held a meeting with the representatives of the Kuki Community from Manipur and a group of CSOs from Mizoram on Monday.

During the meetings, the Home Minister reviewed the measures taken to restore peace in Manipur which has witnessed violent clashes between two ethnic communities.

He directed strict action against the perpetrators of violence and assured complete support and help of the central government for ensuring lasting peace.

Shah assured that the government would take all measures to protect various communities in the state and urged discussion with all factions and spread the message of peace and assured that justice would be done.

Shah also stressed expediting the process of relief and rehabilitation so as to minimise the suffering of the people.

On May 5, the Home Minister also reviewed the situation in Manipur through a video conference meeting with the state Chief Minister and top officials in the state as well as the Centre.

On May 4, Shah also held two meetings via video-conferencing and spoke with the CMs of Manipur and neighbouring states including that of Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam in view of the situation in Manipur.

Manipur faced violence on May 3 during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The march was organised in protest against the demand for inclusion of the state’s Meitei community in the ST category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court directive.

This prompted the state government to issue prohibitory order and suspend internet services across the state for five days.

Along with a ban on large gatherings, a night curfew too has been imposed in several districts of the state.

As per Home Ministry and Indian Army the situation in Manipur has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. (ANI)

Read More: lokmarg.com

‘Every Corner of Imphal Has Become A Relief Camp For The Displaced’

By LokMarg

Speaking through erratic phone network and partly via SMS Akhu Chingangbam, an Imphal-based musician, singer, songwriter and social activist, says peace looks a distant reality for Manipuris

The violence which engulfed the state of Manipur about ten days ago has subsided comparatively in terms of the intensity with which it had earlier started and spread. But, news of gun-firing and killings are still coming from different parts of Manipur. A state of curfew is still imposed in the city and there has been no Internet for a very, very long time.

We are all very concerned about peoples’ lives and their livelihoods here in Manipur. There have been confirmed reports that three members of the Meitei community were killed recently at Churchandpur, a Kuki-dominated district. Besides, we have heard news that all the vacated houses of the Meiteis in several districts have been occupied by the Kukis.

It is tragic that every nook and corner of Imphal is turning into relief camps. We, a group of young men and women, have been working in the relief camps from morning till night. The living condition in these camps is heart-wrenching. There are many cases of missing persons too. Peace is far, far away in our collective imagination for now.

When the violence first broke out, the law and order machinery simply gave away. The state government in Manipur was rather slow in taking action to control the violence which spread rapidly with terrible and tragic consequences. Consequently, a large number of people were displaced and forced to leave their homes and belongings to save their lives. Ordinary folks have also complained about the inactive role of the security forces during the crisis.

Indeed, this is high time that all the communities across the state should come together and reconcile in a realm of peaceful understanding, tolerance and co-existence. Since there is no Internet in Manipur, there has been a lot of false propaganda and fake news in the national and international media. Certainly, in the given, delicate circumstances, it is of utmost importance that all media houses should fact-check the information they receive before they publish it.

(The narrator leads Imphal Talkies, a popular folk rock band which is acclaimed not only in Manipur but in many parts of India. He has performed at various states in India, including in public protests, and especially with his song seeking the release of Dr Binayak Sen. Amid zeroo Internet and intermittent phone connectivity, Chingangbam communicated with Lokmarg over phone and partly via SMS)

Read More: lokmarg.com

As told to Amit Sengupta

Manipur Situation

High-Level Probe To Fix Responsibility For Manipur Violence: CM

By LokMarg

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday urged people to maintain peace while informing that a high-level inquiry will be conducted to hold those responsible for the violence to account and also act those who failed to discharge their responsibilities in containing the unrest.

In his first public reaction to the ethnic clashes that have put the Northeast state on the boil, the Manipur CM also thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for monitoring the situation and sending central forces to restore normality at the earliest.

He assured media persons that those stranded in the ongoing violence were being provided with the best possible care.

The Manipur CM added, “Around 60 people have lost their lives so far while 231 have suffered injuries in the violence. Also, about 1,700 houses were burned down in the unfortunate incidents (rioting) on May 3. I appeal to the people to restore peace and calm to the state.”

He also appealed to the people not to block or obstruct the movement of public transport.

“Those stranded at different locations in Manipur are being provided the best possible care and support. They are being moved to safe locations and shelters. Till now, 20,000 such persons have been evacuated and about 10,000 remain stranded,” Singh said, adding that a high-level inquiry will be conducted to fix the responsibility on those behind the violence.

“A high-level inquiry will be conducted to fix responsibility on persons/groups behind the violence and government servants who failed to discharge their responsibilities. I appeal to all not to spread or believe unfounded and baseless rumours. Till now, 35,655 persons, including 1593 students, have been moved to safer locations,” the CM said.

The chief minister also assured that the government machinery was working round the clock to resolve the situation and restore order and MLAs and ministers were also making sincere efforts to bring back peace.

“I appeal to the public to extend their maximum cooperation to paramilitary and state forces. I also appeal to them to create a safe and conducive environment to enable affected families to return to their homes. I sincerely thank the honourable Home Minister Amit Shah on behalf of the government. He has been monitoring the situation from the first day of violence and has sent several companies of central forces to the state to restore order,” Singh said.

Several state governments, including those in the Northeast, are working on plans to evacuate their citizens out of the violence-hit Manipur.

Meanwhile, Internet services remained suspended in the state and curfew continued to be enforced in violence-hit regions.

Some relaxations to the curfew, which were introduced on Sunday to enable people to purchase items of daily need, continued as well on Monday.

Clashes erupted in the Northeast state after the high court directed the state government to consider including the majority community of Manipur in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Amid the demand of the Meitei people for ST status, a rally was organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) Manipur on Wednesday, which later turned violent. (ANI)

Manipur Situation

Shah Reviews Manipur Situation; 10 More Troops Companies Rushed

By LokMarg

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday again reviewed the situation in Manipur through a video conference meeting with state Chief Minister N Biren Singh and top officials in the state as well as the Centre.

A total of 10 more companies (nearly 1,000 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were also dispatched to the violence-hit state earlier in the day on Friday following orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Home minister was apprised in detail about the current situation in Manipur during a meeting via video conference, and Shah, who is closely monitoring each and every development in the state, asked officials to maintain peace as soon as possible however the situation is under control there, said sources.

In the wake of clashes reported in parts of Manipur, Shah on Friday cancelled all his programmes for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka.

On Thursday, Shah also held two meetings via video-conferencing and spoke with the CMs of Manipur and neighbouring states including that of Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam in view of the situation in Manipur.

To keep the situation in control, five Rapid Action Force (RAF) companies of the Central Reserve Police Force along with other CAPF companies were dispatched to Manipur on Thursday too.

Manipur faced violence on May 3 during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. The march was organised in protest against the demand for inclusion of the state’s Meitei community in the ST category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court directive.

This prompted the state government to issue prohibitory orders and suspend internet services across the state for five days. Along with a ban on large gatherings, a night curfew too has been imposed in several districts of the state.

According to the Home Ministry and Indian Army, the situation in Manipur has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders.

In a video statement on Thursday, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the incidents were a result of a “prevailing misunderstanding between two communities” and appealed to the people of the state to cooperate with the government in maintaining law and order.

As the situation worsened on Thursday, the state home department asked the district magistrates to issue shoot-at-sight orders “in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc. had been exhausted under the provisions of law…”

By Wednesday evening, the violence spread from the hill districts to other parts of the state, including Imphal Valley, which has practically been under siege since. Through Thursday, mobs went on a rampage, burning houses and vehicles allegedly belonging to a particular tribal group. (ANI)