Manipur CM discusses state affairs with Amit Shah

way2barak, Nov 30 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh discussed Manipur related issues with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, a day after a tripartite agreement was signed with United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the oldest valley-based militant outfit of the state, in New Delhi.

Officials in Imphal said that the Chief Minister during his meeting with Shah discussed various “vital issues” of Manipur, which has been devastated with the ethnic violence for over seven months.

“The state government has submitted various projects and proposals relating to displaced and violence affected people including farmers and sought financial assistance from the center to implement the projects.

The Chief Minister discussed these matters with the Union Home Minister. They also discussed illegal infiltration from Myanmar,” an official said, refusing to disclose the details.

Singh after meeting Shah said on the X : “It was an honour to meet Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji today in New Delhi. I am extremely grateful to him for his commitment in working collaboratively for the betterment of Manipur and playing an instrumental role in bringing the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) to the mainstream through peace talks.”

His (Shah) leadership and efforts have played a pivotal role in fostering reconciliation and paving the way for a more peaceful and united future in the northeast, Singh added.

After several months, the Manipur Chief Minister went to Delhi and held a meeting with the Home Minister, who visited violence hit Manipur for four days on May 29 to June 1.

Meanwhile, the tripartite agreement was signed in New Delhi between senior officials of the Union Home Ministry, Manipur government and leaders of UNLF, which was formed in 1964 and has been operating both within and outside Indian territory, including Myanmar.

After the signing of the pact, the Manipur Chief Minister terming it as “historic development” said that the agreement is poised to give a fillip to usher in a new era of peace in the northeast in general and Manipur in particular.

The agreement was signed 16 days after the the Home Ministry on November 13 extended a ban on 11 Meitei extremist groups and their associate organisations including the UNLF, which mostly operate from neighbouring Myanmar and many a times carried out fatal attacks on security forces.

Manipur has around 400 km of unfenced border with Myanmar.

According to a notification issued by the MHA, the groups which were declared banned for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 were included Peoples’ Liberation Army generally known as PLA, and its political wing, the Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF), the Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing Red Army, the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing (also called the Red Army).