Manipur reports firing, house burning amid Shah visit

The ban on internet has been extended till June 5

Firing by unidentified persons and burning of houses were reported from at least four districts in Manipur in the past 24 hours even as Home Minister Amit Shah continued his meetings with leaders of both Meitei and Kuki communities to restore peace in the trouble-torn state.

Sources said several persons were injured near Tangjeng village along the Bishnupur-Churachandpur districts after armed miscreants fired at villagers on Wednesday morning. Houses were set on fire in villages under Thouban Dam police station in Imphal East district and in the Island subdivision of Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on Tuesday night. The Home Minister on Wednesday morning visited Moreh and Kangpokpi districts and held separate meetings with leaders of both Kuki and Meitei communities on the third day of his visit. Shah also held a meeting with officers of the Army and other security agencies at Moreh, a town along the Indo-Myanmar border.

An official statement issued on Wednesday evening said the Home Minister also held a security review meeting with top officials in Imphal. "He directed them to take stern and prompt actions to prevent violence, against armed miscreants and recover looted weapons to bring back normalcy at the earliest."

Read | Ethnic fault lines, unresolved demands and armed groups will keep peace at bay in Manipur

Shah reached Imphal on Monday evening as sporadic violence continued to be a worry for the government and the security forces for the past 28 days.

At least 75 persons have died while nearly 2,000 houses have been burnt down in a riot involving the majority Meiteis and the tribal Kukis since May 3. The violence displaced over 35,000 others too. On Tuesday, Shah met leaders of Meitei communities in Imphal and visited the tribal-dominated Churachandpur for a meeting with tribal leaders with an appeal for peace. The violence broke out in Churachandpur on May 3 following a protest by tribal groups against the demand for ST status by the majority Meitei community. Over 34,000 security forces including the Army and central paramilitary forces have been deployed in the sensitive areas.

Meanwhile, tribal organisations from Manipur held a "solidarity march" at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday alleging that an ethnic cleansing is underway in Manipur. They demanded the imposition of President's Rule in the state and the setting up of a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team to probe into the "ethnic cleansing."

Mobile internet:

As the security situation remained tense, the BJP government in the state extended the ban on mobile and broadband internet by another five days, till June 5. The restriction on mobile and broadband internet in the state has been in force since May 3. Chief Minister N. Biren Singh issued a public appeal on Wednesday against road blockades at several places saying the same has affected the movement of the security forces as well as the transportation of essential commodities. "Such road blockades are making it extremely difficult for the security and police personnel to respond to attacks by armed groups on time," Biren said in the appeal.

Snatched weapons:

Biren Singh on Wednesday reiterated his call for the return and surrender of the weapons, which were snatched during the riot from police battalions and police stations, both in the Valley and in the Hills. Singh had earlier said 1,014 weapons were snatched during the riot but only less than 500 half have been recovered or returned so far. The missing weapons have become a worry for the security forces and the displaced people, who are taking shelter in relief camps. Singh said legal action under the Arms Act 1959 would be initiated against those found in possession of such weapons during the combing operations to be launched by the security forces in search of such weapons.