Amit Shah chairs high-level meeting on Manipur as crisis intensifies

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday chaired an emergency meeting with senior security establishment officials to review the deteriorating situation in Manipur, officials aware of the matter said and added that a more detailed review was scheduled for Monday.
Shah, who was in Maharashtra to campaign for elections in the state later in the week, cut short his visit to return to the national capital for the meeting, party leaders said.
On Monday, Shah will chair a meeting at North Block as the government prepares to tackle the latest flare-up in violence, which has been marked by what appear to be reprisal killings carried out by both Kuki and Meitei groups in the state.
The Centre has also sent CRPF director general Anish Dayal Singh to Manipur. People aware of the matter said chiefs of security forces working in Manipur, senior officials from the home ministry and Intelligence Bureau will participate in Monday’s meeting.
The situation escalated on Saturday with locals targeting houses of MLAs and ministers – vehicles and parts of houses were set on fire, gunfights were reported at buffer zones between hills and valley areas, and protesters blocked roads in valley regions overnight.
Nearly 300 army and Assam Rifles personnel were deployed in Imphal after receiving a requisition from the state administration. Since police stations in the state Capital are not listed as disturbed areas under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), security forces can operate only after receiving state government requisition.
“Around 300 personnel from security forces have been deployed across key areas of Imphal Valley and Thoubal since yesterday night. Following the resurgence of turmoil, the Security Forces received a requisition from the state police department for deployment of troops in various parts of Imphal Valley to assist in maintaining law and order and restoring peace,” an official said, asking not to be named.
The troops are posted across Imphal valley including Sanjenthong, Khurai Lamlong Bridge, Thongju Bridge, Koirengei, Kangla Western Gate, Keishampat, Chungtham, Salam Mayai Leikai, Konthujam, Mayang Imphal, Hiyangthang, Nambol, Mantripukhri, Babupara, Wangjing, Thoubal and Lilong of Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal Districts.
“The situation was better today. Last night, the houses of some other political people were vandalised. But during the day today (Sunday) there was no major violence. Curfew measures in Imphal is being enforced strictly,” a senior officer posted in Manipur said.
The fresh wave of violence was triggered after a 31-year-old tribal woman was allegedly shot, raped and set on fire by suspected members of radical Meitei organisation Arambai Tenggol in Jiribam district. Subsequently, bodies of two civilians and five members of a Meitei family were recovered from Jiribam village. On Sunday morning, a Kuki man’s body was also found in the district.
Vishvas Pathak, state coordinator of BJP, said: “The tour of the union home minister was cancelled because of the official meetings of his ministry that came up at the last minute. Other two senior leaders held the rallies in place of the home minister.”
The government has deployed over 2,500 additional paramilitary personnel, imposed AFSPA in at least 6 police stations, and suspended internet services over the past week. Since May 2023, clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities have resulted in at least 250 deaths and displaced 60,000 people, effectively dividing Manipur into two ethnic enclaves – the Meitei-controlled valley and Kuki-dominated hills, separated by a buffer zone monitored by federal forces.