Union Home Minister Reviews Situation In Manipur; Sends More Forces to Maintain Peace

The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has reviewed the situation in Manipur through a video conference meeting with the Chief Minister of the state, N Biren Singh, and top officials in the state as well as the Centre.

This comes after the recent violence in the state on May 3 during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.

The march was organised in protest against the demand for inclusion of the state's Meitei community in the ST category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court directive.

Following orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs, 10 more companies (nearly 1,000 personnel) of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were dispatched to the violence-hit state on Friday. To keep the situation under control, five Rapid Action Force (RAF) companies of the Central Reserve Police Force along with other CAPF companies were dispatched to Manipur on Thursday too.

The situation has prompted the state government to issue prohibitory orders and suspend internet services across the state for five days. Along with a ban on large gatherings, a night curfew has also been imposed in several districts of the state. The Home Minister has asked officials to maintain peace as soon as possible and has cancelled all his programs for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka.

In a video statement on Thursday, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the incidents were a result of a "prevailing misunderstanding between two communities" and appealed to the people of the state to cooperate with the government in maintaining law and order. As the situation worsened on Thursday, the state home department asked the district magistrates to issue shoot-at-sight orders "in extreme cases whereby all forms of persuasion, warning, reasonable force, etc. had been exhausted under the provisions of law."

According to the Home Ministry and Indian Army, the situation in Manipur has been brought under control through coordinated actions by all stakeholders. However, the violence has spread from the hill districts to other parts of the state, including Imphal Valley, which has practically been under siege since. Through Thursday, mobs went on a rampage, burning houses and vehicles allegedly belonging to a particular tribal group. The situation is being closely monitored by the Centre and the state government, and efforts are being made to maintain peace in the state.

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