Posters, banners and messages came up in Manipur on Monday welcoming Union Home Minister Amit Shah on his four-day visit during which he will meet stake-holders to assess the situation and take steps to restore normalcy to the State that witnessed ethnic violence over the past few weeks.
Shah’s visit came on a day when the Indian Army and para-military forces rounded up at least 25 miscreants with arms, ammunition and grenades. A spokesperson for the defence forces said a number of people were detained with weapons after fresh incidents of firing and clashes broke out in and around Imphal valley on Sunday. “During operations in Sansabi, Gwaltabi, Shabunkhol, Khunao in Imphal East, Army apprehended 22 miscreants with weapons and other war like stores.
Five 12 bore double barrel rifles, three single barrel rifles, one country made weapon with double bore and one muzzle loaded weapon were recovered,” he said in a statement. On Monday, an uneasy calm prevailed in Manipur, even as the death toll from Sunday’s clashes rose to five as three more people, who were undergoing treatment in hospitals, succumbed to their injuries, officials said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Nisith Pramanik, who is the Minister of State for Home Affairs said in Guwahati that the Centre was providing all support to Manipur and the situation was “returning to normal.” Pramanik’s remarks came a few hours before Amit Shah began his four-day visit to the northeastern State.
Shah will hold several rounds of security meetings to assess the situation and plan steps to restore normalcy during his first visit to the State since the ethnic clashes between the Kuki and the Meitei communities broke out on May 3.
On Monday, posters and banners were seen in Imphal and several other districts. The welcome messages were issued by several civil society organisations of Manipur, sources said.
“We have learned that the Hon’ble Union Home Minister of India is arriving in Manipur. In this regard, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) considers it a very positive step towards restoring peace. Under his able leadership, the people of Manipur are looking forward to restoration of peace and normalcy in Manipur,” the organisation said.
The United People’s Front and the Kuki National Organisation, which work for the welfare of the Kuki Zo community in Manipur, said the Shah’s visit is a positive initiative. “This planned visit has given a sense of security among the Kuki Zo tribe. We look forward to his actions and directions to end this ongoing ethnic clashes between the two communities,” the organisation said.