Manipur BJP president A. Sharda Devi on Thursday met Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi for an “extensive discussion” on the prevailing situation in the strife-hit state.
Sharda Devi said in a post on X that she met Shah and urged for “immediate attention to bring permanent solution and tranquillity to the state while appreciating the ongoing efforts” to ensure peace.
The meeting came on a day President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament but she didn’t mention the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur between the Meiteis and the Kuki-Zos that had left at least 229 dead and over 67,000 displaced since it started in May last year.
Sharda Devi also highlighted the need for resettling internally displaced persons by providing “maximum” support for their smooth rehabilitation.
Shah assured her that the Centre is aware of the “delicate situation on the ground” and was committed to meeting people’s aspirations, Sharda Devi said in the post on X.
On June 17, Shah had held a review of the Manipur situation with senior officials. He had said the MHA would take steps to bridge the ethnic divide in the state. The meeting was held without chief minister N. Biren Singh.
The Sharda Devi-Shah meeting took place ahead of Friday’s rally in Imphal called by the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi), an influential conglomerate of Meitei-based civil society organisations, to safeguard the territorial integrity of Manipur.
The Cocomi rally comes in the wake of Kuki-Zos’ massive rallies in five hill districts on Monday demanding a separate Union territory for the Kuki-Zos, which the valley-based Meiteis vehemently oppose.
The Cocomi’s women and student wings on Thursday appealed to all sections of the society, including elected representatives, to take part in the rally in a show of solidarity “to save Manipur” from disintegration. The rally is also aimed at drawing the attention of Parliament to the plight of the state and its people.
In her nearly 52-minute speech, the President flagged the development and reforms under the Narendra Modi regime, including initiatives undertaken in the Northeast. She also spoke about the ₹27,000 crore semi-conductor plant being set up in Assam which will make the Northeast “a hub of Made in India chips”.