Ensure people move freely on Manipur roads from March 8: Amit Shah

He directed that the fencing work on both sides of the designated entry points along Manipur’s border with Myanmar should be completed at the earliest. To make the state drug-free, he said the entire network involved in the drug trade should be dismantled.

The review meeting at North Block in New Delhi was attended by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, state Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, DGP Rajiv Singh, Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, DGs of CRPF, BSF and Assam Rifles and senior officers of the Indian Army and Ministry of Home Affairs.

Sources said security forces have been instructed to ensure that the Meitei people are able to pass through the hill areas of the state and that the Kuki can come to Imphal valley, especially to board flights out of the state. As of now, the two communities are unable to venture into each other’s areas.

Police have already started removing illegal checkposts erected on roads by the two communities.

The Indian Express had earlier reported that the government had drawn up plans to deploy security convoys to enable safe passage of goods and people across the ethnic divide.

The MHA, in a statement, said Shah called for early completion of the fencing work on both sides of the designated entry points along the state’s international border, and for dismantling “the entire network involved in the drug trade”.

This was a longstanding demand of the Meitei people who claimed that drug trafficking and illegal immigration were fomenting trouble in the state.

Sources said that during the meeting, Shah underlined the need for recovery of weapons.

“The Home Minister was categorical that the initial phase of efforts to bring back normalcy in Manipur has to focus on recovery of weapons. He also asked the security establishment to ensure there’s no fresh wave of violence in the state,” an official of the MHA said.

“The first priority is to ensure a prolonged period of peace. That will pave the way for talks. Meanwhile, the Intelligence Bureau and North East Advisor AK Mishra will continue to engage groups on either side of the ethnic divide,” the official said.

This was the first security review meeting on Manipur that Shah chaired after the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh on February 9. The Centre imposed President’s rule in the state on February 13 and the responsibility of the state administration and law and order passed into the hands of Governor Bhalla.

Bhalla has moved to overhaul the security approach in the state which includes rolling out an amnesty scheme for surrender of weapons, cracking down on militia, and facilitating movement of goods and people across the ethnic divide.

Bhalla’s amnesty scheme saw the Meitei militia Arambai Tenggol surrender 246 weapons last Thursday. That deadline for turning in weapons has now been extended to March 6 following requests from Kuki and Meitei groups.

Since the outbreak of violence in May 2023, nearly 250 people are said to have died in ethnic clashes in the state. More than 6,000 weapons have been looted from police armouries by mobs.