Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
| Photo Credit: PTI
GUWAHATI
Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities broke out in the State on May 3, 2023.
The Chief Minister, who left the State’s capital Imphal for New Delhi on July 25, said some time with the Prime Minister could be carved out during two major events he is scheduled to attend. The first is a meeting of the NITI Aayog and the second is a conclave of the Chief Ministers.
“The Prime Minister will chair the NITI Aayog meeting and the Chief Ministers’ conclave will be in his presence. I will have the privilege to discuss the prevailing situation (in Manipur). I will make a request seeking an immediate solution to the present crisis,” he said, confident of a positive outcome.
Mr Singh confirmed via WhatsApp that he will have a one-to-one meeting with Mr. Modi.
More than 20 legislators of the National Democratic Alliance from Manipur had camped in New Delhi for a few days in June to seek an audience with the Prime Minister.
The Opposition parties have been criticising Mr. Modi for not visiting Manipur even once in 14 months since the ethnic clashes broke out, leaving at least 220 people dead and more than 70,000 displaced. Most of the displaced people continue to live in relief camps – the Meiteis in Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo people in the hills of Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam.
Before flying out, Mr. Singh told journalists in Imphal that he had “personally invited the 10 Kuki-Zo MLAs to attend a session of the 60-member Manipur Assembly from July 31 to August 6. Seven of the 10 are from the Bharatiya Janata Party and two of them are Ministers.
“We are also inviting them through the Assembly. They should come and join. We will cooperate,” he said.
Speaker T. Satyabrata Singh said the Assembly wrote to the Kuki-Zo MLAs less than a week ago. “They have not yet confirmed their participation. We hope they will attend the session,” he said.
The Kuki-Zo MLAs had exited Imphal soon after the violence broke out and mobs attacked their houses. They did not attend the last two sessions of the Assembly.
Given the psychological divide between the two warring communities, they are unlikely to return to Imphal to attend the Assembly session.
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