Will ensure flow of essential commodities to Manipur: Shah assures civil society group

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured an influential civil society group in Manipur that proper security will be ensured along the national highway connecting the Imphal valley to ensure uninterrupted flow of essential commodities.

Shah has also assured a delegation of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) that a firm stand will be taken against all kinds of infiltration into Manipur’s territory.

A delegation of influential Meitei civil society group COCOMI met the home minister as well as top officials of the Intelligence Bureau here on Friday where they had long discussions on various issues concerning the state.

COCOMI was encouraged to initiate dialogues with responsible Kuki leaders and groups to facilitate problem-solving and peace-building, according to a statement released by the group.

The COCOMI strongly pursued that there will be no allowance for separate administrations in Manipur.

”The union home minister emphasised a firm stance against all forms of infiltration into Manipur’s territory. Measures are being implemented to register immigrants using biometrics, including retina scans. Stringent action will be taken against all forms of infiltration into Manipur’s territory,” the statement said.

To address concerns about mass infiltration, the government is expediting border fencing in the Manipur sector, it added. COCOMI strongly pursued that there will be no allowance for separate administrations in Manipur and the home minister appealed for peace in the state and requested COCOMI to convey this message to the people, the statement said. ”Ensuring the movement and distribution of commodities in the state can be possibly realised with the support from both side of the communities. And necessary deployment of convoys to secure the highways shall be ensured in few days,” it said.

In its meeting with Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka and Security Advisor Northeast A K Mishra, COCOMI presented the complexities of issues affecting Manipur, including illegal immigration, cross-border narco-terrorism, exploitation of forest resources, and violations of the Suspension of the Operations agreement. The ethnic violence in Manipur erupted on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Since then, more than 160 people have died and several hundreds were injured in ethnic clashes in Manipur.

The Meitei community accounts for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.