All Pol Party meet to bring peace in the state
there were no reports of any major violence from across the state, but the situation continued to remain tense.
AMN / WEB DESK
The death toll after ethnic clashes in Manipur rose to at least 55 on Saturday even as Security personnel trying to restore normalcy in the state. There was little clarity on the true scale of the damage and fatalities after the state convulsed through two days of violence, even as some parts began returning to normalcy while thousands of troops kept guard.
Newly appointed security advisor Kuldiep Singh told media that the number of fatalities confirmed to have been due to the violence is at 28, and more deaths are being verified. Officials in Manipur on Saturday said at least 51 bodies were at three hospitals across Imphal and Churachandpur and at least four deaths also took place on Friday night
The security personnel have been trying to restore normalcy in Manipur. There was no report of mob violence in valley districts on Sunday. The Security Advisor to Manipur Government Kuldeep Singh is presently in Imphal and monitoring the situation. Army helicopters have been pressed into aerial survey and public curfew was relaxed for few hours in some selected districts today.
Evacuation of stranded people have been going on in full swing. In the trouble-hit district- Churachandpur, around five thousand five hundred stranded people are taking shelter in the relief camps arranged by district administration and security forces while one thousand five hundred have been evacuated under heavy security cover. Those who are stranded in valley districts have also been transported to their destination by the security forces. In the meantime, the Additional Secretary of Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education Dr. Vineet Joshi has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Manipur today. The 1992 batch IAS officer will assume the charge from Dr. Rajesh Kumar who has been serving as Chief Secretary in six months extension mode.
Meanwhile an all political party meeting convened today by the Manipur Government has resolved to form a peace committee in every Assembly Constituency with the respective MLAs as chairmen to implement peace initiatives at the grassroots level and to take the displaced families to safer places or their homes.
It is reported that the peace committee would work towards identifying and addressing the underlying causes of violence and conflict and promote peaceful dialogues among different communities.
The meeting held from 2 pm to 4.30 pm at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat was attended by representatives of various political parties including Indian National Congress (INC), CPI, JD (U), NPF, Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party, AITC, BSP, AAP, MPP, AIFB, MNDF, ABHKP and attended by personalities including former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, Deputy CLP leader K Ranjit, MPCC president K Meghachandra, Congress MLA Th Lokeshwar, Manipur unit CPI leader L Sotinkumar, CPI (M) secretary Ksh Santa, BJP Manipur Pradesh president A Sarda Devi, JD (U) vice president O Nabakishore, RSP secretary Manoranjan, Shiv Sena president M Tombi, NPF president and Water Resources Minister Awangbow Newmai, Transport Minister Khasim Vashum and BSP president Kabita Devi among others.