THE Lok Sabha early Thursday adopted a Statutory Resolution confirming the imposition of President’s rule in Manipur with opposition supporting the decision but slamming the Centre for the situation in the state. Replying to a short debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Government has taken all possible steps to bring back normalcy in the restive northeastern State. He said there has been no violence in Manipur in the last four months, adding that talks were on with both Meitei and Kuki communities for a peaceful solution. “By and large the situation is peaceful. As long as people are in camps, I would not say the situation is satisfactory.

 

The government is taking all possible steps to restore peace in Manipur,” he said. The home minister said the ethnic violence in Manipur had started following an order of the State’s High Court. “The day the order came, we sent the central forces by air. There was no delay on our part (in taking action),” he said. He said, so far, 260 people have died in the violence that started in May 2023 and 80 per cent of them lost their lives within the first month. Shah said he did not want to compare the violence that had taken place during the tenure of the previous governments but wanted to tell the House about the clashes between the Naga and Kuki communities that took place in the 1990s over five years. “Sporadic violence continued for a decade where 750 people lost their lives.

 

There were KukiPaite clashes in 1997-98 when 352 people were killed. In the MeiteiPangal clashes in the 1990s, over 100 people died. Neither the then prime minister nor the then home minister visited Manipur,” he said. The Home Minister said an impression has been given that violence erupted only during the BJP rule, which is not correct. Earlier, participating in the debate, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said his party supported the resolution but wanted the restoration of peace and stability in the state. “End insurgency, restore peace and stability, promote dialogue with each other, promote inclusivity,” he said.