Mokokchung, 24 August (MTNews): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who was in the national capital to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, stated that he maintains regular contact with the 10 Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs. The MLAs have requested a separate administration for the hill districts.
Shah had summoned Manipur CM Singh and the state’s BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi to New Delhi.
On 16 August, the 10 MLAs submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a separate chief secretary and police chief for the hill districts, where a majority of Kuki and other tribal groups reside. The tribal MLAs have expressed concerns about threats to their lives from Meitei groups.
“I assured the MLAs that I would provide them with security and emphasized the need to collaborate in restoring normalcy. I also engaged with civil society organizations in Imphal (Meitei groups), urging them not to hinder the MLAs’ visits to the valley (Imphal) for work. The MLAs should resume work promptly. Additionally, I want to reaffirm that there will be no division of Manipur,” HT quoted Singh as saying.
The Union Home Minister is expected to meet Singh, his cabinet colleagues, and the state’s BJP Chief A Sharda Devi. This meeting takes place just days ahead of the Assembly session in Manipur scheduled for 29 August, the first since ethnic violence erupted in the State on 3 May. The Assembly was last convened in March.
Opposition parties in Manipur, especially the Congress, are likely to question the Biren Singh-led BJP government about the ongoing ethnic clashes and violence in the state. On 23 August, CM Biren Singh claimed that both the Central and Manipur governments are working towards a political solution to end the ongoing ethnic clashes and violence in the state.