Won’t accept Kukis’ UT demand, Amit Shah tells Manipur Governor

Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the key demand by Manipur's Kuki-Zo community for a separate administration under a union territory status in areas having tribal majority will not be entertained by the Centre and is completely non-negotiable. This was conveyed by Shah to Governor AK Bhalla and other key officials of the state during a recent security review meeting presided over by him.

Highly placed sources informed The Tribune that during the meeting on Manipur held by Shah on March 1, he is learnt to have clearly conveyed to Governor Bhalla and other top Home Ministry officials that the main demand of the Kuki-Zo community, seeking union territory status with separate administration in districts of Manipur having majority tribal population is a "non-negotiable issue" and it needs to be rebuffed.

The Union Home Minister is also learnt to have conveyed during the meeting that all members of armed groups, which had signed the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre, and who are seen moving around with weapons in public places, should be asked to return to their designated camps and if they are seen armed in public places, then they should be strictly dealt with.

Instructions were also issued that the police should have clarity on the identity of movement of people from and to Manipur and Myanmar, with sources informing that it should be ensured that those coming from across Myanmar into Manipur, are not overstaying beyond the week-long timeline of the inner line permit (ILP) issued to such persons.

Shah further directed the state administration to restore all places of worship in the strife-ridden state, be it temples, churches and mosques, which have been damanged in the nearly two-year-old ethnic violence, by repairing them urgently.

Meanwhile, Governor Bhalla after returning from New Delhi, held a follow-up meeting with state chief secretary Prashant Kumar Singh and DGP Rajiv Singh as well as security adviser Kuldiep Singh and paramilitary officials, where he is learnt to have reiterated all directives given by the Union Home Minister and sought immediate action and follow-up on them.

The Centre had signed the SoO agreement with 25 armed Kuki armed groups in Manipur in 2008, which was getting extended every year till February 29. However since then, it has not been renewed, sources said.