After Parliament Offensive, Amit Shah's 2-Hour Meet On Manipur

Outside the parliament where he vehemently defended his government's efforts to quell the Manipur violence, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spent two more hours to solve another vexed crisis related to the state.

The latest problem pertained to the mass burial of tribal victims of the violence, whose dead bodies are in morgue for over three months.

Mr Shah yesterday met Kuki-Zo leaders from a delegation of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) and sorted out what could have led to another flashpoint in the ongoing ethnic violence.

The ITLF had planned the mass burial of its 35 former members at S. Boljang village on August 3, but Meitei groups had objected citing it is a government-notified land. The tribal group had postponed its plans following a Home ministry assurance that the matter will be solved in a week.

The area located along the boundary of Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts has seen frequent clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals.

The Manipur High Court, which stayed the proposed burial in an interim order on August 3, has posted the matter for next hearing on August 30.

The ITLF said the Home Minister has requested them not to carry out the burial at the venue located in a conflict zone and to identify an alternate location.

They also submitted a list of 10 demands to Mr Shah, including the deployment of forces in vulnerable areas and not allow state police forces to operate in hills.

Other demands included the safety and security of hill residents, transportation and identification of dead bodies, helicopter services in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh areas, transfer of students, and regular monitoring of prison inmates.

According to the ITLF, Mr Shah has assured them Manipur Police commandos will not conduct operations in the hill areas without central forces and all check-posts leading to the hills will be guarded by central Assam Rifles.

Violence broke out in Manipur between the Kuki tribe and the Meiteis over the latter's demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. At least 170 people have been killed and thousands internally displaced since then.