UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said a judicial probe headed by a retired High Court Chief Justice to inquire into clashes which erupted in the northeastern State of Manipur, will soon be announced. At a press conference held here on Thursday, he also announced that a peace committee under the Governor of Manipur Anusuiya Uikey which will have representatives of all political parties, besidesrepresentatives from both Kuki and Meitei communities andsocial organisations will be set up. “Dialogue is the only solution to the ongoing crisis inManipur,” Shah said. “We will soon announce ajudicial probe headed by aretired High Court Chief Justiceand set up a peace committee,”he said.

 

The Home Ministeralso announced a CBI probe toinvestigate FIRs alleging fivecriminal conspiracies and one general conspiracy behind the violence in Manipur. He,however,alsosaid,“Violencewas a temporary phase, misunderstandings will go away ... The situation will soon be normal.” Shah said he had visited relief camps, met both Kuki and Meitei civil groups, and discussed the peace process. The leaders of both the warring Meitei and Kuki communities, as well as other civil society representatives who have met him, have assured him that they would work to assuage hurt feelings and remove misunderstandings, Shah said.

 

The Home Minister said an Inter Agency Unified Command will also be formed for “better coordination” among all security agencies in Manipur as multiple forces are working on the ground. Currently some 10,000 Army and Assam rifles personnel have been brought into the State to keep the peace. Besides, central police forces and State police is also functioning on the ground. It was felt that anunifiedcomm and was necessary to avoid confusion. “One joint secretary-level officer from the Home Ministry and five director-levelofficersfromdifferentdepartments will be posted here,” he added. Shahalso toldnewspersons thathe felt for a permanent solution to the Indo-Myanmarborderissue,thefencing on the border between the two countries will need to be completed.

 

There are apprehensions that the porous border is being used for drug smuggling and for movement of militants. He said biometrics of people coming from neighbouring countries are also being collected. A large number of refugees from the violence in Myanmar have also taken refuge in the border state and the central governmenthasbeentryingtokeeptrack of this population. Talkingabouttheoriginoftheclasheswhich rockedManipur, he said ethnic rioting began after the Manipur High Court on April 29 “hurriedly” sought the views of the State Government on granting Scheduled Tribe status to a community