UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday visited Churachandpur, the scene of some of the worst rioting in the recent ethnic conflict which broke out in Manipur earlier this month, to hold talks with Kuki civil society leaders. Among others, Shah who flew down in a helicopter accompanied by the IB chief and Home Secretary, is meeting church leaders as well as intellectuals from the Kuki community to understand their grievances and find ways to bring peace to the north-eastern State which has witnessed a series of clashes between Meiteis and Kukis. Earlier in the day, the Government announced it will give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to those who died during the ethnic conflict in Manipur. 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 clashes has gone up to 80, officials said. The meeting also decided toensurethatessentialitems such as petrol, LPG gas, rice andotherfoodproductswill be made available in large quantities to cool down prices. The Home Minister who flew in to Imphal on Monday night is accompanied by the Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Kumar Deka. Shah also held consultations onTuesday with stake holders starting with a breakfast meeting with a group of women leaders, aspart of his initiativetobringpeacetothe violence-hit state. “Held a meeting with a group of women leaders (Meira Paibi) in Manipur. Reiterated the significance of the role of women in the societyofManipur.Together, we are committed to ensuring peace and prosperity in the state,” Shah tweeted. According to a Home Ministryspokesperson,Shah also held a meeting with the delegation of different civil society organisations in Imphal on Tuesday morning.Ethnicclashesbroke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal SolidarityMarch’was organised in the hill districtson May 3 to protest the Meitei community’s demand for ScheduledTribe (ST) status. Since then there have been waves of unrest including a latestroundofclasheswhich sawatleast5deadonSunday.

 

The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations. Meiteis account for about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. Around10,000personnel of the Indian Army and Assam Rifles, besides thosefromotherparamilitary forces, hadtobedeployed to bring back normalcy in the north-eastern State. Meanwhile, Shah on Tuesday said the Government’s top priority is peace and prosperity in Manipurandhehasinstructed security officials to strictlydeal with any activities that disturbpeace. Shahsaidthis after a review meeting with senior officials of Manipur Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Indian Army here. “Reviewed the security situation in Manipurina meeting with senior officials of the Manipur Police, CAPFs and the Indian Army in Imphal. Peace and prosperity of Manipuris ourtop priority, instructed them to strictly deal with any activitiesdisturb

 

 

THE Mizoram Government has sought Rs 5 crore assistance from the Centre to provide immediate relief to people who have taken shelter in the State from violence-hit Manipur, a senior official said on Tuesday. People from Manipur, affected by ethnic conflict, continued to flock to Mizoram, and the number rose to 8,282 till Monday, State Home Department Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia said in a statement. “A letter seeking monetary assistance of Rs 5 crore as immediate relief for the internally displaced people was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs last week. We are hopeful that the Centre will provide the assistance as the displaced people are none other than Indian citizens,” the state home secretary told PTI.