India: Home Minister Amit Shah to visit violence-hit Manipur ‘soon’
India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Thursday (May 25), urged people to maintain peace in the violence-hit state of Manipur and said that he would visit the northeastern state soon. This comes a day after at least one person was killed and one other person was injured as fresh violence rocked India’s northeastern state of Manipur.
Speaking at an event in the Indian city of Guwahati, the home minister said, “There were clashes in Manipur after the verdict of a court. I would appeal to both groups, they should maintain peace, and justice will be done with everyone.”
Shah said that the visit will take place “soon” and that he will stay there for three days to “talk to people of Manipur for establishing peace”. He added, “The Centre will ensure that justice is given to all who suffered in the clashes which broke out in the state, but people must hold a dialogue to ensure peace in the state.”
Officials on Thursday confirmed the death of a 30-year-old man, Toijam Chandramoni, who was shot during the violence a day prior, while Leichombam Abungnao, aged 22, was injured. Officials believe that the suspected militants opened fire at the group of people, displaced during the recent ethnic clashes in Churachandpur and took shelter in a relief camp at Moirang in the Bishnupur district.
At a press conference, state security advisor Kuldiep Singh said that the violence followed incidents of arson by suspected militants in the Tronglaobi area late Tuesday. “The villagers and those living in the Moirang camp were angry over the burning of their houses,” said the senior police officer, as quoted by news agency PTI.
According to the police, three houses were burnt on Tuesday night and in retaliation, people from the community burnt down four houses. Singh said that while the situation as of now is tense, it is “under control”.
On Wednesday, the house of Manipur minister Konthoujam Govindas in the Bishnupur district was vandalised after a group of people claimed that the authorities are not doing enough to protect the locals from the militants belonging to another community, said a police official. The minister and his family were not present at the house which came under attack.
This comes as the state has witnessed sporadic incidents of violence since the ethnic clashes between the tribal Kuki and the non-tribal Meitei communities first broke out, earlier this month. According to media reports, over 70 people have been killed while more than a thousand have been displaced. Some 2,000 houses have been burned down across the Indian state, reported AFP.
(With inputs from agencies)
