IMPHAL: Union minister Kiren Rijiju underscored the imperative of negotiations to pacify ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur, marking it as the next step in the Narendra Modi government’s mission to restore stability in the Northeast state.
Rijiju attributed the surge in clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur to a Manipur high court directive advocating Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Meiteis, highlighting the ethnic tensions underlying the conflict rather than a rebellion against the BJP-led Centre.
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Advocating for peaceful negotiations, Rijiju urged both the Meiteis and Kukis to eschew violence, emphasizing that armed conflict would not yield a resolution.
He stressed the crucial role of dialogue in reinstating a conducive environment and achieving normalcy in Manipur.
Highlighting PM Modi’s appeals for peace on multiple platforms, Rijiju lamented the opposition’s politicization of the issue despite the government’s concerted efforts to address the situation.
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Rijiju emphasized the collaborative effort required to restore peace, urging stakeholders to unequivocally endorse an end to violence and promote dialogue between the conflicting factions.
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He commended the extensive endeavours of union home minister Amit Shah and other officials to tackle the crisis on the ground.
Addressing the root cause of the clashes, Rijiju criticized the Manipur high court’s intervention in determining the Meiteis’ tribal status, reiterating that such decisions fell within the government’s purview.
Despite the challenges, Rijiju reaffirmed the Modi government’s dedication to pacifying the Northeast region.
He underscored the government’s substantial progress in the region over the past decade, contrasting it with the opposition’s fixation on a single incident in Manipur.
The eruption of ethnic violence in Manipur in May last year, triggered by protests against the Meitei community’s ST status demand, has claimed at least 219 lives, underscoring the urgency of resolving the protracted tensions between the Meiteis and Kukis in the state.