- Saturday, April 27, 2024
The leader, who was on a four-day visit to the north-eastern state, announced the formation of a panel and initiation of probe into incidents of violence.
By: Shubham Ghosh
Indian home minister Amit Shah on Thursday (1) warned of taking strict action against those who did not surrender arms in the north-eastern state of Manipur which has been witnessing disturbance for almost a month now.
In an effort to restore peace in the state which shares an international border, Shah also announced the formation of a panel and initiation of a probe into incidents of violence.
Modi government working on 3-pronged approach to restore peace in violence-hit Manipur
Also, Manipur’s police chief P Doungel was removed and transferred to the home department. Rajiv Singh, an Indian Police Service officer from the cadre of Tripura, another northeastern state, was appointed as Manipur’s new director general of police.
Addressing a press conference after a series of meetings during his four-day visit to Manipur which concluded on Thursday (1), Shah said a panel led by a retired chief justice will probe the ethnic violence that rocked the state and resulted in deaths of more than 75 people.
A peace committee would also be set up under the governor and security advisor to the chief minister of Manipur and members of the civil society.
The Central Bureau of Investigation will probe six cases related to the conspiracy in the violence in the state and it will be under the guidance of the federal government. Shah, who is the second most powerful leader in India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, assured that the probe will be neutral and go to the roots of the reasons that caused the violence.
He also announced that the government of Manipur and the federal government will together provide a compensation of rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed in the violence.
Ethnic violence broke out after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts of Manipur on May 3 to protest the majority Meitei community’s demand for the status of Scheduled Tribe (ST) — officially designated groups of people who are among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in the country.
The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of villagers of the Kuki tribe from reserve forest land.
