Shah to visit Manipur to talk with all concerned

way2barak, May 25 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced that he would soon visit strife torn Manipur for three days and would talk to all stakeholders to resolve the prevailing ethnic crisis, which has continued since May 3.

Laying the foundation stone of the 11th Campus of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Guwahati, Shah said that the Manipur violence was triggered by an order of the Manipur High Court.

Urging the people of all communities in Manipur to maintain peace and ethnic harmony, the Union Home Minister said that talks among all the stakeholders are very essential to resolve the ethnic problem.

“No perpetrators would be spared and justice would be provided to all the victims and affected persons. During my three day proposed visit to Manipur, I would talk to all concerned to resolve the problem at the earliest. In the present day society, violence has no place.

During the past six years, there was no bandh or blockade and peace was restored, people must maintain this pace for all round development and welfare of the people,” Shah said.

He urged people of all communities that leave aside all the mistrust and misunderstanding restore the peace and ethnic harmony and resolve the differences through talks.

Shah’s Thursday’s views and messages was the first open statement by a high profile central minister after the ethnic violence started in the BJP ruled Manipur more than three weeks ago.

Claiming over 71 lives and injuring over 300 people besides damaging government and private properties, the northeastern state witnessed unprecedented violent clashes in more than 10 districts during and after the May 3 ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the ST category.

Acting on a writ petition filed by the Meetei (Meitei) Trade Union, the Manipur High Court acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran on April 19 had directed the state government to submit the recommendation for inclusion of Meitei (Meetei) community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry.

The High Court order snowballed into a major controversy with thousands of tribals turning up for the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in 10 hill districts on May 3 called by ATSUM.

Meanwhile, a group of MLAs from Manipur are likely to meet Shah in Guwahati to apprise him of the prevailing situation in the trouble torn state.