Take steps to protect Manipur’s territorial integrity: CM appeals to Centre
Singh has also reportedly urged the central government not to give in to the demand for a separate administration raised by Kuki Zo groups
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Saturday evening and Sunday morning after a fresh bout of violence in the state, has appealed to the Centre to take steps to protect its territorial integrity, news agency PTI has reported.
Singh has also urged the central government not to give in to the demand for a separate administration raised by Kuki Zo groups, an official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
The chief minister made these appeals in a memorandum submitted to the governor when he, along with a number of MLAs and the Assembly Speaker, called on him at Raj Bhavan and held a meeting on Sunday (September 8).
Appeals made in memorandum
In the memorandum to Acharya, Singh said the Centre should ensure peace in Manipur and give adequate power to the elected state government, the official told PTI.
Singh also called for revoking the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
The SoO pact was signed by the Centre, the Manipur government and two conglomerates of Kuki militant outfits — the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People’s Front (UPF). The pact was signed in 2008 and extended periodically thereafter.
Contents not shared
The Raj Bhavan said in a statement that Singh met the governor along with his Cabinet colleagues and submitted the memorandum.
However, neither Raj Bhavan nor the chief minister shared its contents.
The statement said that besides over 20 MLAs, Singh was accompanied by Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh during the hour-long meeting.
Renewed violence
The meeting happened amid fresh violence in the state, in which at least five people were killed in Jiribam district on Saturday.
The chief minister had met the governor on Saturday night as well and briefed him about the situation.
High-tech weapons such as rockets and bomb-dropping drones are now being used in Manipur by the warning groups, giving rise to new concerns for the establishment.
Clashes between Meitei and Kuki-Zos have left over 200 people dead and thousands homeless since May last year.
(With agency inputs)
