IN HIS first comments on Manipur after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections by the Election Commission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that timely intervention of the Centre and efforts of the state government have led to a “marked improvement in the situation in the state”. “We believe that it is our collective responsibility to deal with the situation sensitively. I have already spoken about this in Parliament. We have dedicated our best resources and administrative machinery to resolve the conflict,” the Prime Minister told The Assam Tribune newspaper. “Because of the timely intervention of the Government of India and efforts made by the Government of Manipur, there has been a marked improvement in the situation of the state,” he said. “Home Minister Amit Shah stayed in Manipur while the conflict was at its peak, holding 15-plus meetings with various stakeholders to help resolve the conflict. The central government has been consistently extending its support, as required by the state government,” Modi said. “The process of relief and rehabilitation is ongoing. Remedial measures undertaken include a financial package for the relief and rehabilitation of people living in shelter camps in the state,” he said. Clashes between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kuki community erupted in Manipur in May 2023 after the High Court asked the BJP-led state government to recommend to the Centre the inclusion of the Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribes list. More than 200 lives were lost in the clashes, which kept the state on the edge for months. On August 10 last year, wrapping up a three-day discussion on a no-trust motion in Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister had assured the people of Manipur that the country was with them and the “sun of peace” would rise again in the state. Charging the Opposition with “playing politics” over the Manipur situation, he had backed the efforts of the state government and said, “The Centre is working hard to give the harshest punishment to those involved in crimes in Manipur… people of Manipur – mothers, sisters, daughters – the country is with you. Together, we will face this difficulty and ensure peace returns. I promise the people of Manipur that the state will once again undertake the development journey.”
