India

Amit Shah Meets Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in Delhi, Promises Visit Later This Month

By HT Correspondent

Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in New Delhi on Thursday. During the meeting, the chief minister briefed Shah on measures taken by the state government to restore peace and normalcy amid ongoing ethnic tensions. Khemchand informed Shah that the state government has resumed the Imphal‑Dimapur‑Guwahati bus service, providing relief to residents. The chief minister also held separate meetings with Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Mansukh Mandaviya. According to the chief minister’s office, Shah told Khemchand that he would visit Manipur later this month.

Manipur has been affected by Naga‑Kuki clashes and the demand for an NRC exercise, which has postponed the census. The ethnic clashes began in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki communities and have since involved almost every community. At least 260 people have died and 60,000 have been displaced. The state’s two deputy chief ministers, representing the Naga and Kuki communities, are not on speaking terms. During a recent assembly session, Naga MLAs boycotted proceedings and wrote to Shah on September 1 seeking action against Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and her husband, alleging collusion with Kuki militant groups. Kipgen denied the allegations and said she had worked to resolve tensions.

The tensions intensified after twin ambushes on May 13 that killed four people, including three church leaders. In the aftermath, 48 people were taken hostage, leading to protests, shutdowns and a blockade along all three national highways in the state. The state government maintains that there are no buffer zones dividing communities, though it has identified certain sensitive areas. A new government was formed in February, nearly a year after President’s Rule, with representatives from all three major communities to maintain ethnic balance.