The Indian government is intensifying efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis in Manipur, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Speaking at a press conference marking the first 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term, Shah detailed the government's approach to the complex situation.
"We have created a roadmap to solve the issue," Shah stated, emphasising the racial nature of the conflict. He stressed the importance of dialogue between the Kuki and Meitei groups, revealing that the government is actively engaging with both communities.
The Home Minister highlighted recent progress, noting, "Recently, violence went on for three days, other than that, in the last 3 months, no major incident took place."
Shah identified the India-Myanmar border as a critical factor in the unrest. The government has initiated a fencing project along this frontier, with 30 kilometres already completed. "We have started the fencing of the root cause of the problem, the India-Myanmar border," Shah explained. He added that funding has been approved to fence the entire 1,500-kilometre border.
Additional measures include the strategic deployment of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) units and the nullification of an agreement that previously allowed free movement between India and Myanmar. "To stop the infiltration, we have nullified the agreement between India and Myanmar which allowed the movement of the people, and now entry into India is allowed only by visa," Shah clarified.
In a move to address immediate concerns, the government announced plans to expand access to essential commodities through Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars. Shah revealed that 16 new facilities will be added to the existing 21, with half of the new centres located in hill areas.