Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday rejected a demand made by 10 MLAs, including seven from the ruling BJP, for a separate administration for the Kuki-dominated districts of the northeastern state, stating, “the territorial integrity of Manipur will be protected”.
The chief minister, who had made an air-dash to Delhi on Sunday to confer with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said measures are being taken to ensure that militants, who had signed a peace pact dubbed ‘Suspension of Operations’, return to their designated camps.
Singh also appealed to people not to hold ‘dharnas’ or rallies in view of the sensitive phase the state has been witnessing since race riots between the majority Meiteis and the Kukis earlier this month. He also said no force would be used to break the blockades imposed by some groups on highways in the state in the wake of the rioting, and instead “efforts would be made to reason with these demonstrators”.
The chief minister, who was speaking to reporters at a press conference here, said, “I assure the people that the territorial integrity of Manipur will be protected at all costs”. “Measures are being undertaken with the supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make the SoO (Suspension of Operations) groups return to their camps and strengthen efforts to bring normalcy back to the state,” he said.
Singh said that he and his ministers, who had travelled to Delhi with him, had briefed Shah about the prevailing situation in the state and “conveyed to him the sentiments of the people of Manipur on the situation” as also intelligence “on the involvement of armed militants in the recent violence”. Asked about the demand made by 10 MLAs for a separate administration for Kuki areas of the state, he said, “There is no threat to the integrity of Manipur”. Ten tribal MLAs belonging to the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi group in Manipur have urged the Centre to give their region a “separate administration” in the wake of recent violent clashes between the Meiteis and tribals.