Manipur violence: Indian Army chief to visit today, assess security situation

Army Chief General Manoj Pande will visit Manipur today to assess the security situation in the aftermath of recent unrest there, according to Indian Army authorities. They stated that the Army Chief will be updated by Eastern Command authorities on the efforts taken to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have increased security across Manipur in response to reports of new unrest in the state, as per ANI reports.

Both security troops in Imphal East and Churchandpur avoided shooting events between the two communities, when some armed individuals opened fire and fled to higher ground, according to the Army. However, there were no reports of injuries, and more efforts were underway.

There have been deadly communal confrontations in Manipur as a result of the Manipur High Court (HC) ordering the State to follow a 10-year-old recommendation to award Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the non-tribal Meitei population.

Manipur has suffered ethnic violence, with Chief Minister N Biren Singh announcing earlier this month that around 60 people had died. Houses have also been burned amid the rioting, with additional cases reported from various sections of the state.

Additional security forces deployed

Earlier on Friday, Chief Minister Biren Singh announced that additional security forces had been deployed in the state, with personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Manipur Police, Manipur Rifles, India Reserve Battalion (IRB), and Village Defence Force (VDF) stationed in 38 vulnerable areas.

The chief minister urged people to stay calm, stating that operations had been carried out against armed militants in numerous regions on the state's outskirts.

Efforts are being made to undertake peace discussions with all segments of society, and the government has been meeting with various peace committees constituted in response to the current situation in Manipur, he noted.

He also urged people not to engage in violent activities and not to trust or circulate false information and rumours that might cause animosity between various communities. He asked the public forsupport for the government's attempts to restore normalcy.

In light of the scenario, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the state for three days.

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Urging people to maintain peace, Shah said on Thursday, "There were clashes in Manipur after the verdict of a court. I would appeal to both groups they should maintain peace, and justice will be done with everyone. I will myself go to Manipur after few days and will stay there for three days and will talk to people of Manipur for establishing peace."

(With inputs from agencies)

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