Imphal: Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh has asked all House members to cooperate in discussing the road map to restore peace in Manipur, with a focus on implementing the NRC.
Biren, who also serves as the Home minister in-charge, made the statement on Thursday in response to the motion for disapproval of policy cut motion raised by opposition MLAs during the discussion and voting on Police department demands.
Opposition MLA K. Ranjit said since the onset of violence in Manipur, the chief minister has provided different narratives regarding the root cause. He said Union Home minister Amit Shah cited two different causes for the Manipur crisis. Initially, Shah attributed the violence to external aggression, but later suggested that initiating talks between the Meitei and Kuki communities could resolve the issue. “People have been confused for over 15 months on the root cause of the ongoing violence.”
Ranjit demanded to identify the actual root cause to facilitate the restoration of peace.
He asked the chief minister to clarify misinformation regarding the implementation of the NRC in Manipur.
Biren clarified that the state government has begun identifying illegal immigrants through biometrics, a process that falls under the Foreigner’s Act and is similar to the NRC. He said NRC has not yet been implemented in the state.
Biren said Article 355 has not been imposed in Manipur. However, following instructions from the central government and as a Meitei himself, the central government appointed Kuldiep Singh as the security advisor to the Manipur government, he added.
Addressing issues with a particular central security force, the state government has taken necessary measures and is working to resolve the matter, he said.
MLA Th. Lokeshwar, expressing his disapproval of the policy cut motion on the same demand, urged Biren to take stringent action and appealed to the Manipur police to uphold the dignity of their uniform by protecting the people from unwanted elements.
He called on the Home ,inister to empower state forces to perform their duties without obstruction.
Effective coordination between state and central forces is essential to halt gun fights between communities and restore peace, he said.
He also urged the House to unanimously seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to highlight Manipur’s issues and push for peace restoration.
Biren informed the House that the initial outbreak of violence was due to a lack of intelligence. However, with state and central forces’ initiatives, the violence has been significantly controlled. As part of these efforts, around 130 displaced families in the Jiribam district have returned to their homes.
Opposition leader Okram Ibobi also stressed the need for the government to seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the Manipur crisis promptly. Ibobi warned that the opposition MLAs might take stringent measures if the ruling MLAs, including CM Biren, fail to secure an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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