Will Visit Violence-Hit Manipur Soon, Calls For Peace And Dialogue: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced his forthcoming visit to Manipur, where he plans to spend three days in order to engage with the local population and address the prevailing unrest in the region. This comes after fresh incidents of violence were reported in Manipur.

In response to recent reports of violence in Manipur, Shah expressed his intention to personally speak with the people and work towards restoring peace. "I will myself go to Manipur after a few days and will stay there for three days and will talk to the people of Manipur for establishing peace," Shah said.

Talking about the violence, Shah said,''There were clashes in Manipur after a court verdict. I would appeal to both groups that they should maintain peace, and justice will be done for everyone.''

One person was killed and another injured in a fresh violence between suspected militants and a group of people in an area bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts in strife-torn Manipur, police said on Thursday.

Following the violence, the authorities clamped curfew for 24 hours in the area and reduced the curfew relaxation hours in several other districts.

Meanwhile, the house of Manipur PWD Minister Konthoujam Govindas in Bishnupur district was vandalised on Wednesday by a group of people claiming that the government in the violence-hit state was not doing enough to protect locals from militants belonging to another community, an official said.

The minister who is a BJP leader and his family members, however, were not present at the house when the mob, comprising mostly women, attacked the house in Ningthoukhong area and damaged a portion of a gate, windows, a few furniture and electronic gadgets.

This was the first time a minister's house was attacked during the ongoing ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that started three weeks ago. Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed to control the situation in the state.

Clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The violence in Manipur was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

The ethnic clashes claimed over 70 lives and some 10,000 army and paramilitary personnel had to be deployed to restore normalcy in the northeastern state.