Talks started between two communities to restore peace: Manipur CM Biren Singh

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said that the Manipur government is continuing its efforts to bring back peace to the state under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday said that talks between the two communities—Kuku and Meitei — involved in the ongoing ethnic conflict have already started and peace has begun to return to the state. He asserted that the Manipur government is continuing its efforts to bring back peace to the state under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. He, however, didn’t give details of the talks.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh speaks to media persons in Imphal on Wednesday. (PTI)

Biren Singh was speaking to the media at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s state office in Imphal after a party executive meeting held there. The meeting was attended by Union minister of law and justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, BJP northeast region in-charge, Sambit Patra, Manipur’s cabinet ministers, and MLAs.

When the media asked the Union law and justice minister about the law-and-order situation in Manipur, he declined to comment.

Biren said a committee headed by Manipur’s Cabinet minister K Govindas has already been established to monitor the issues of relief camps established for the displaced people affected by the ongoing crisis. However, during the meeting a sub-committee was formed to monitor it more effectively, he added.

The meeting also discussed taking necessary steps in connection with the recent flood in the state, Biren said.

Earlier on Monday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited relief camps in Jiribam, Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts of Manipur and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state to understand what is happening in the conflict-ridden state.

Manipur has been in the throes of a violent conflict for over a year. What began as an ethnic conflict on May 3 last year between the majority Meiteis who reside in Imphal valley and the tribal Kukis, has grown into seemingly irreconcilable cleavages within Manipuri society. At least 220 people have been killed and 50,000 people displaced.