By Agencies
IMPHAL: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday hinted that external forces or elements may have had a hand in the ethnic violence that claimed several lives in the state, ANI reported. The state is in the throes of a bloody conflict between the Meiteis and tribal Kukis since the March 27 Manipur High Court order that asked the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status to the majority community.
When asked during an ANI interview whether an international organisation could have played a role in the violence, Singh said that he could “neither deny nor vehemently affirm” the possibility.
He said that the violence seemed to have been planned, but the reason behind it was not clear. “Manipur shares its borders with Myanmar. China is also nearby. As much as 398 km of our borders are porous and unguarded. There are security forces deployed on our frontiers but even a robust and extensive security deployment can’t cover such a vast area.”
The CM reassured that the Centre and the state government were making all efforts for restoring peace to the state, adding that he spoke with his “Kuki brothers and sisters” over the telephone earlier in the day, saying, “Let’s forgive and forget”.
In an impassioned appeal to the people of the Northeast state, he said all tribes have to live together, adding that he will not allow Manipur to be splintered on ethnic lines.
“We are one. Manipur is a small state but we have 34 tribes. All of these 34 tribes have to live together. We just have to be careful that not many people from outside come and settle here. We have to ensure that there is no demographic imbalance. As the CM, I promise that I won’t allow Manipur to break up and neither will there be a separate administrative authority in the state. I am prepared to make sacrifices to keep everyone together,” the CM said.
Ethnic violence broke out on May 3 after thousands of people, mostly Kukis, participated in a protest march by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) to oppose the demand of the majority Meiteis to be included in the Scheduled Tribes category.
Meanwhile, Biren Singh, who was reportedly on the verge of resigning as CM on Friday, June 30, decided to withdraw the decision under public pressure. “At this critical juncture, I wish to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of Chief Minister,” Singh said on Twitter.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
IMPHAL: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday hinted that external forces or elements may have had a hand in the ethnic violence that claimed several lives in the state, ANI reported. The state is in the throes of a bloody conflict between the Meiteis and tribal Kukis since the March 27 Manipur High Court order that asked the state government to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status to the majority community.
When asked during an ANI interview whether an international organisation could have played a role in the violence, Singh said that he could “neither deny nor vehemently affirm” the possibility.
He said that the violence seemed to have been planned, but the reason behind it was not clear. “Manipur shares its borders with Myanmar. China is also nearby. As much as 398 km of our borders are porous and unguarded. There are security forces deployed on our frontiers but even a robust and extensive security deployment can’t cover such a vast area.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The CM reassured that the Centre and the state government were making all efforts for restoring peace to the state, adding that he spoke with his “Kuki brothers and sisters” over the telephone earlier in the day, saying, “Let’s forgive and forget”.
In an impassioned appeal to the people of the Northeast state, he said all tribes have to live together, adding that he will not allow Manipur to be splintered on ethnic lines.
“We are one. Manipur is a small state but we have 34 tribes. All of these 34 tribes have to live together. We just have to be careful that not many people from outside come and settle here. We have to ensure that there is no demographic imbalance. As the CM, I promise that I won’t allow Manipur to break up and neither will there be a separate administrative authority in the state. I am prepared to make sacrifices to keep everyone together,” the CM said.
Ethnic violence broke out on May 3 after thousands of people, mostly Kukis, participated in a protest march by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) to oppose the demand of the majority Meiteis to be included in the Scheduled Tribes category.
Meanwhile, Biren Singh, who was reportedly on the verge of resigning as CM on Friday, June 30, decided to withdraw the decision under public pressure. “At this critical juncture, I wish to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of Chief Minister,” Singh said on Twitter.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
