Express News Service
GUWAHATI: After the near month-long violent clashes between Meiteis and Kukis, Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday established direct contact with the people of Manipur.
He met the leaders of various civil society organisations and intellectuals of the two communities and appealed to them to work towards restoring peace.
During a meeting that he had with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the state cabinet on Sunday night, it was decided that families which lost their near and dear ones in the violence would be provided with ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job each.
Shah on Tuesday first met leaders of Meitei women groups, student unions, intellectuals and various civil society organisations. Later, he visited the hill district of Churachandpur and held similar meetings with leaders from the Kuki community.
Ginza Vualzong, a leader of Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum who attended the meeting with Shah, said they demanded “total separation” from Manipur and the imposition of President’s rule as law and order has collapsed.
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“We submitted an 11-point charter of demands. We demanded the identification of dead bodies of tribals in the Imphal valley as we want to arrange a proper burial for them, relief and rehabilitation of the displaced people and security of the tribals,” Vualzong said.
He said the Kuki leaders highlighted the involvement of Meitei radical groups “which worked together with the government machinery in the violence”.
“We demanded legal actions against these radical groups. They have connection with the chief minister and Lok Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba. We submitted pictorial evidence to the home minister,” Vualzong said.
According to him, Shah sought 15 days’ time so peace committees can be set up for the restoration of peace.
“Amit Shah said if there is no peace, there cannot be any political talks. He assured us of a judicial enquiry. He mentioned that the CBI is taking up some cases. He promised action against all those involved in the killings,” Vualzong added.
The Meitei leaders demanded appropriate measures for the protection of Manipur’s territorial and administrative integrity and immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki insurgent groups which were allegedly involved in the violence.
In a joint memorandum submitted to Shah, five civil society organisations demanded “immediate and effective counter-terrorist action to uproot the SoO and non-SoO narco-terrorist aggressors” to restore peace and normalcy.
Further, they demanded the protection of the lives and properties of Meitei villagers settled at the foothills of Imphal valley and the hill areas.
These organisations also demanded that the Assam Rifles, deployed on the Myanmar border, be immediately replaced with forces such as Border Security Force and immediate compensation and rehabilitation of the families of the victims of both communities.
GUWAHATI: After the near month-long violent clashes between Meiteis and Kukis, Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday established direct contact with the people of Manipur.
He met the leaders of various civil society organisations and intellectuals of the two communities and appealed to them to work towards restoring peace.
During a meeting that he had with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the state cabinet on Sunday night, it was decided that families which lost their near and dear ones in the violence would be provided with ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job each.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Shah on Tuesday first met leaders of Meitei women groups, student unions, intellectuals and various civil society organisations. Later, he visited the hill district of Churachandpur and held similar meetings with leaders from the Kuki community.
Ginza Vualzong, a leader of Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum who attended the meeting with Shah, said they demanded “total separation” from Manipur and the imposition of President’s rule as law and order has collapsed.
ALSO READ | ‘Nothing is readily available’: Cylinders at Rs 2000, costly petrol singe strife-hit Manipuris
“We submitted an 11-point charter of demands. We demanded the identification of dead bodies of tribals in the Imphal valley as we want to arrange a proper burial for them, relief and rehabilitation of the displaced people and security of the tribals,” Vualzong said.
He said the Kuki leaders highlighted the involvement of Meitei radical groups “which worked together with the government machinery in the violence”.
“We demanded legal actions against these radical groups. They have connection with the chief minister and Lok Sabha member Leishemba Sanajaoba. We submitted pictorial evidence to the home minister,” Vualzong said.
According to him, Shah sought 15 days’ time so peace committees can be set up for the restoration of peace.
“Amit Shah said if there is no peace, there cannot be any political talks. He assured us of a judicial enquiry. He mentioned that the CBI is taking up some cases. He promised action against all those involved in the killings,” Vualzong added.
The Meitei leaders demanded appropriate measures for the protection of Manipur’s territorial and administrative integrity and immediate abrogation of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with Kuki insurgent groups which were allegedly involved in the violence.
In a joint memorandum submitted to Shah, five civil society organisations demanded “immediate and effective counter-terrorist action to uproot the SoO and non-SoO narco-terrorist aggressors” to restore peace and normalcy.
Further, they demanded the protection of the lives and properties of Meitei villagers settled at the foothills of Imphal valley and the hill areas.
These organisations also demanded that the Assam Rifles, deployed on the Myanmar border, be immediately replaced with forces such as Border Security Force and immediate compensation and rehabilitation of the families of the victims of both communities.
