Manipur MLAs' delegation urges Governor to find amicable solution to ethnic crisis

Imphal, June 8 A group of Manipur MLAs on Sunday held a meeting with state Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to discuss the current law and order situation in the state and requested his intervention to help find an amicable solution to the ethnic crisis.

A Raj Bhavan official said that during the discussion, the MLAs apprised the Governor of the current law and order situation in Manipur.

"The legislators urged the Governor to intervene in the situation and help to find an amicable solution. The Governor informed the delegation that all necessary steps are being taken to address the concerns and to restore normalcy," the official said.

Another official said that 25 MLAs, comprising various political parties, met the Governor and urged him to intervene and restore peace and normalcy at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the Governor also held a security review meeting with the senior administrative and security officials at the Raj Bhavan.

"During the meeting, a comprehensive discussion and review of various matters relating to the current law and order situation in the state were deliberated," the Raj Bhavan official said.

Among those present in the meeting were the Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, Commissioner, Home, N. Ashok Kumar, the Secretary to the Governor, the Additional Director General of Police, Law & Order, the Inspector General of the Assam Rifles (South), the Inspector General, CRPF and other senior officials.

Fresh incidents of violence were reported in Manipur’s valley region, especially in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, after the security forces arrested radical Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol's (AT) member Kanan Singh and four other cadres of the outfit on Saturday.

Since Saturday night, the protesters have set fire to some vehicles, including those belonging to the security forces. Ten people were injured in clashes between security personnel and protestors. A journalist also sustained injury in the melee.

Protesting the arrest of Arambai Tenggol members, a large number of men and women protesters burnt tyres and old furniture in the important roads at Kwakeithel and Uripok in Imphal West district, demanding the immediate release of the detainees.

Protesters also laid siege to some important installations.

In a few places, Arambai Tenggol activists poured petrol over themselves in symbolic protests against the arrest. Local people claimed that several gunshots were heard at Kwakeithel, but they could not confirm who fired the shots or whether anyone was injured. Arambai Tenggol has called a 10-day shutdown in Manipur from Sunday to protest against the arrest of their members by central security agencies.

To control the situation, the state government has banned mobile internet on Saturday midnight and data services for five days and imposed an indefinite curfew in five Imphal valley districts -- Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching. A large contingent of Central and state forces led by senior officials has been deployed in the five districts, especially in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, to bring the situation under control.

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