Manipur CM rushes to Delhi to discuss prevailing situation

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh left for Delhi on Sunday, a day after an all-party meeting was held by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Sources close to the Chief Minister said that Singh would meet the Union Home Minister and other central leaders in Delhi and discuss the latest

prevailing situation in Manipur.

In the Saturday’s all-party meeting in Delhi, Shah reportedly told the political leaders that the government would take steps on the basis of the

suggestions submitted by the political parties.

Since the ethnic violence began in Manipur on May 3, this is the chief minister’s second visit to New Delhi to hold meetings with the

central ministers and leaders.

On May 14, Singh, accompanied by Power, Forest and Agriculture Minister Biswajit Singh, who is the second in command in the council of ministry

after the chief minister, and state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, had visited Delhi and held a series of meetings with Union Home

Minister and other central leaders.

Few political parties including main opposition Congress have been demanding imposition of President’s rule while the organisations belonging

to the Kuki tribal community have been demanding removal of Singh from the top post.

Various organisations belonging to the Meitei community have been demanding drastic actions against the Kuki militants, who reportedly violated the

ground rules of the tripartite Suspension of Agreement (SoO), signed on August 22, 2008 with the central and the state governments.

Several Civil Society Organisations (CSO), belonging to the Meitei community, and various political parties have claimed that after the state

government started taking actions against the drug menace, smuggling and infiltration from Myanmar, illegal poppy cultivation, the Kuki

organisations became irritated and started various agitations.

Last week, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that infiltrators from across the border and militants have caused the ongoing unrest in the state and it

is not an enmity between two communities.

Manipur shares around 400 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

The horrific ethnic violence in Manipur, which broke out on May 3, and had so far claimed over 120 lives and injured over 400 people of different

communities besides destroying a number of varied private and government properties, houses and vehicles.

During the violence, the militants, miscreants and mobs looted thousands of arms and lakhs of ammunition from various police stations and security

posts.

The combined security forces have so far recovered 1,100 looted arms, 13,702 pieces of various ammunition.