In the backdrop of the fresh violence that took place in Manipur on Wednesday where at least one man was killed and several houses were vandalized, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has broken his stoic silence and called for peace in the troubled state. He has also announced his upcoming visit to Manipur to address the situation with both the parties.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Guwahati Campus of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Assam, Home Minister Shah stated, “I will myself go to Manipur after a few days and will stay there for three days to talk to the people of Manipur for establishing peace.” He urged both communities involved in the clashes to maintain peace and assured them that justice would be served.
The announcement by Home Minister Amit Shah comes after the Indian National Congress criticized the government for the breakdown of law and order in Manipur on Wednesday and accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being ‘disinterested’ and preoccupied with election campaigning.
The Home Minister breaking the silence also comes a day after the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also expressed concern over the violence in Manipur during a press conference in UN Geneva. Türk also urged for a quick investigation for the root cause of violence in line with their international human rights obligations.
To address the situation promptly, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home, Nityananda Rai, and Sambit Patra, the BJP’s national spokesperson and Northeast-in-charge, have already arrived in Imphal this afternoon where they appealed for peace and sought cooperation from the people of Manipur.
Kuki Militants to meet AK Mishra
In a related development, the Kuki National Organization (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF), the two main outfits operating under the Suspension of Operations agreement, will hold a crucial meeting with Special Advisor MHA AK Mishra in Guwahati tomorrow. The Manipur government has recently called for a review of the SoO agreement with these outfits. AK Mishra is also the GoI’s representative and interlocutor for the Naga talks.
Official sources have reported that there are 17 SoO groups affiliated with the Kuki National Organization and 8 under the United People’s Front.