The meeting was attended by the Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Union Home Secretary, Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Chief of Army Staff (Designate) Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, Security Advisor to Government of Manipur, Director General of Assam Rifles, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur and senior officials of Army and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
A senior official in the state government who does not want to be named told ET, “The home minister took inputs from different agencies. There will be another round of meetings soon.” With Jiribam district continuing to be restive, additional CRPF troopers have been deployed in the interior areas of its Borobekra subdivision. Tension gripped the area after the killing of 59-year-old farmer Soibam Saratkumar Singh on June 6.
Around 900 tribals belonging to the Kuki and Hmar communities took shelter at the homes of relatives and friends in two villages – Haokippunji and Hmarkhawlienin – in the Cachar district of southern Assam, after violence broke out.
Shah further directed the security forces to ensure that no further incidents of violence take place in Manipur and strict action must be taken as per law against the perpetrators of violence. The home minister also reviewed the situation in relief camps, especially in respect of proper availability of food, water, medicines and other basic amenities. Shah added that MHA will talk to both the groups, Meiteis and Kukis, so as to bridge the ethnic divide, at the earliest.
