IMPHAL, June 1: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said a judicial probe headed by a retired high court chief justice to inquire into clashes which erupted in the northeastern state of Manipur, will soon be announced.
At a press conference held here on Thursday, he also announced that a peace committee under the Governor of Manipur Anusuiya Uikey which will have representatives of all political parties, besides representatives from both Kuki and Meitei communities and social organisations will be set up.
“Dialogue is the only solution to the ongoing crisis in Manipur,” Shah said.
“We will soon announce a judicial probe headed by a retired high court chief justice and set up a peace committee,” he said.
The Home Minister also announced a CBI probe to investigate FIRs alleging five criminal conspiracies and one general conspiracy behind the violence in Manipur.
He, however, also said, “Violence was a temporary phase, misunderstandings will go away … The situation will soon be normal.”
Shah said he had visited relief camps, met both Kuki and Meitei civil groups, and discussed the peace process.
The leaders of both the warring Meitei and Kuki communities, as well as other civil society representatives who have met him, have assured him that they would work to assuage hurt feelings and remove misunderstandings, Shah said.
The home minister said an Inter-Agency Unified Command will also be formed for “better coordination” among all security agencies in Manipur as multiple forces are working on the ground. Currently some 10,000 army and Assam rifles personnel have been brought into the state to keep the peace. Besides, central police forces and state police is also functioning on the ground. It was felt that an unified command was necessary to avoid confusion.
“One joint secretary-level officer from the Home Ministry and five director-level officers from different departments will be posted here,” he added.
Shah also told newspersons that he felt for a permanent solution to the Indo-Myanmar border issue, the fencing on the border between the two countries will need to be completed.
There are apprehensions that the porous border is being used for drug smuggling and for movement of militants.
He said biometrics of people coming from neighbouring countries are also being collected. A large number ofrefugees from the violence in Myanmar have also taken refuge in the border state and the central government has been trying to keep track of this population.
Talking about the origin of the clashes which rocked Manipur, he said ethnic rioting began after the Manipur High Court on April 29 “hurriedly” sought the views of the State Government on granting Scheduled Tribe status to a community.
Asked about the Kuki community’s demand for a separate administrative unit, the Union Minister said: “The Central government had cleared its stand on Manipur’s territorial integrity earlier. I don’t want to make any statement to sensationalise the issue and make headlines.”
He claimed that since BJP came to power in Manipur around six years ago, the northeastern state had remained free of bandhs, curfews and blockades, and reached the “peak” of peace and development.
He said a relief and rehabilitation package for families who have lost members to the violence or suffered injury or damage to property will soon be announced by the Government, and the money will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the victims and their kin.
Shah also promised to expedite supplies of essential commodities to cool down prices in the land-locked state.
“We will set up a temporary railway station at Khongsang within a week. This will help movement of people and transportation of goods to a large extent,” he added.
The Centre will also send medical teams including 20 specialised doctors to the state, besides arranging to support students appearing for competitive examinations, Shah said. (PTI)
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