'I am sorry': After 19 months of bloodshed, Manipur CM Biren Singh apologises
Biren Singh had until now refused to take responsibility for the seemingly unending ethnic violence in Manipur and also said he won’t resign. He hoped 2025 will finally bring peace
Nineteen months after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur, chief minister N Biren Singh has finally offered a public apology for the bloodshed and hoped that 2025 will finally herald peace in the state.
Addressing reporters in Imphal, Singh said that there has been relative peace in the state in the last three-four months, which gives him hope that normalcy will be restored in the new year.
"I want to say sorry for what happened in the state. Many people lost their loved ones and many had to leave their homes. I regret and want to apologise. But after seeing relative peace in the last three-four months, I hope that normalcy will be restored in the coming year," he said.
"Whatever happened has happened... I want to appeal to all communities to forgive and forget our past mistakes and start life afresh by living together in a peaceful and prosperous Manipur," he said.
“This entire year has been very unfortunate. I feel regret and I want to say sorry to the people of the state for what is happening till today, since last May 3,” ANI quoted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader as saying.
Also read: Manipur needs peace, mutual understanding between communities: CM
CM hopes 2025 will bring peace
Biren Singh had until now refused to take responsibility for the seemingly unending ethnic violence in Manipur and also said he won’t resign.
In his latest statement, the chief minister said he was seeing progress towards peace in Manipur in the last three to four months.
“I hope that with the New Year 2025, normalcy and peace will be restored in the state,” he said.
Also read: Situation in Manipur improving, says CM Biren Singh
Further, he said that all 35 tribes in Manipur should live together and in harmony. Singh said firing incidents have declined in the state over the last 20 months since the ethnic conflict began in May 2023.
"From May to October, 2023, 408 firing incidents were reported. From November 2023 to April 2024, there were 345 firing incidents, whereas from May this year till now, 112 firing incidents were reported," he said.
He said that of all the looted weapons, 3,112 have been recovered and 2,511 explosives have been seized during the period.
The chief minister further said that 625 people have been arrested and 12,047 FIRs registered so far.
Since May 2023, the ethnic violence in Manipur involving Imphal Valley-based Meities and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups has claimed more than 250 lives and thousands have been rendered homeless.