Preparing Roadmap for Permanent Peace in Manipur: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Marking 100 Days of the Narendra Modi -Led NDA government's third term, Union Home Minister Amit Shah outlined the government's efforts to address the situation in Manipur and introduced new initiatives on Tuesday. He said that the government is engaging with both the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur to ensure lasting peace and has commenced the process of fencing the India-Myanmar border to curb infiltration.

During a press conference highlighting the achievements of the Modi 3.0 government’s first 100 days, Shah reported that aside from a three-day period of violence last week, the overall situation in Manipur has been calm. The government is actively working to restore peace in the troubled Northeastern state. Shah stated, “We are talking to both the communities for maintaining peace. We are also preparing a roadmap for a permanent peace in Manipur.”

On the border fencing, Shah elaborated, “We have started the fencing of the root cause of the problem, the India-Myanmar border. 30 km of the fencing has been completed. The central government has approved a budget to fence the whole 1500 km border. We have successfully deployed CRPF at strategic locations. To stop the infiltration, we have nullified the agreement between India and Myanmar which allowed the movement of the people, and now entry into India is allowed only by visa.”

Shah also highlighted the scrapping of the India-Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR), which permitted border residents to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without documentation. “Now people will be able to enter each other's territory only with a visa,” he added. The 1,643 km-long India-Myanmar border, covering Mizoram , Manipur , Nagaland , and Arunachal Pradesh , had implemented the FMR in 2018 under India’s Act East policy.

Ethnic violence in Manipur began on May 3, 2023, following a tribal solidarity march protesting the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, over 220 people have been killed, and thousands have been displaced.

Schools and Colleges to Reopen in Manipur After Extended Closure

The Manipur government has announced that schools and colleges, closed since September 7 due to violence, will reopen on Tuesday. The closure followed rocket attacks that resulted in casualties and subsequent student protests. The Directorate of Education (Schools) and the Higher and Technical Education Department issued orders for the resumption of normal classes after an extended closure.

In addition, authorities have relaxed curfew restrictions in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, and Thoubal districts from 5 AM to 6 PM on Tuesday to allow residents to purchase essential items, including food and medicines. This relaxation does not apply to gatherings or protests.

Shah also announced the opening of 16 new Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars, expanding the existing 21 facilities to provide essential commodities at reasonable prices. “Now the Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars will be open for common people from September 17, 2024. In addition to 21 existing Bhandars, 16 new ones will be opened. Among the 16 new centres, eight will be in the valley, and the remaining eight in the hills,” Shah wrote on X.

Since May last year, the ethnic strife between the Meiteis and Kukis has resulted in over 200 deaths and thousands of displacements in Manipur .