New Delhi: The Centre on Monday decided to ensure distribution of essential resources including petrol and cooking gas in Manipur as part of measures to return normalcy in the ethnic conflict hit State. The decision was taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a cabinet meeting after his return from a six days state visit to the US and Egypt.
Chaired by PM Modi, the meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Housing and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman among others. Meanwhile, sources in the Home Ministry told ETV Bharat that Amit Shah during his meeting with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday assured that the Centre will ensure implementation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki insurgent groups in the hill areas.
Shah gave the assurance after Singh raised the issue of Kuki militants' involvement in the ongoing ethnic conflict. According to the SoO agreement, cadres of the different militant organisations are supposed to remain in the designated camps with their arms surrendered. Quoting reports, the official said that following regular inspections in the designated camps, it was found that a few weapons were found missing from the designated camps ever since the violence broke out on May 3.
More than 130 people have lost their lives in the ethnic conflict that broke out between the Meiteis and the Kukis since May 3. Thousands of people were also rendered homeless. It is worth mentioning that at least 25 Kuki-Chin-Mizo militant organisations in Manipur signed the tripartite SoO in 2008, and the pact has been periodically extended till date.
Following the reported involvement of Kuki-Chin-Mizo militants in the ongoing ethnic violence, several organisations have been demanding the government for the abrogation of the SoO agreement between Centre, militant groups and State government.
