HM Amit Shah says govt committed to restoring peace in Manipur, ensuring return of displaced people

Imphal, May 31 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the government is committed to restoring peace in Manipur as early as possible and ensuring the return of displaced people to their homes.

Shah said this after visiting the camps of Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur on the third day of his ongoing visit to the ethnic violence-hit state.

“Visited a relief camp in Kangpokpi and met the Kuki community members there. We are committed to restoring peace in Manipur as early as possible and ensuring their return to their homes,” he tweeted.

The home minister also said that he had convened a meeting with civil society organisations in Kangpokpi in Manipur and “they are keen to actively participate with the government in reviving harmony among communities in Manipur”.

Earlier, he held a review meeting in Moreh border town to take stock of the security situation in the northeastern state which has been witnessing sporadic violence for nearly a month.

Shah also met a delegation of the Kuki community and a team representing others communities, and they expressed strong support for the government’s initiatives to restore normalcy.

A home ministry spokesperson said Shah held a security review meeting in the Moreh town, bordering Myanmar.

“Held a meeting with the delegations of Kuki and other communities at Moreh. They expressed strong support for the government’s initiatives to restore normalcy in Manipur,” Shah said in another tweet.

The home minister is on a four-day visit to Manipur, the first since the ethnic clashes began on May 3.

The state witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for over a fortnight.

The death toll from clashes has gone up to 80, officials said.

The ethnic violence first broke out after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.