Imphal, Oct 13 (IANS) Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Praveen Kumar on Tuesday reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in the state, while Director General of Police Mukesh Singh visited the violence-affected Jiribam district to assess security arrangements and rehabilitation measures, officials said.
A senior official of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that BSF chief Praveen Kumar called on the Chief Minister at the Secretariat in Babupara, Imphal. During the meeting, Khemchand Singh and the BSF Director General deliberated on the prevailing law and order situation in Manipur.
“They also discussed matters pertaining to the forthcoming BSF Raising Day celebrations on December 1. The Chief Minister appreciated the BSF for its dedicated service and invaluable role in maintaining peace, security and border management,” the CMO official said.
The BSF chief was accompanied by Sumit Sharan, Additional Director General of BSF, Eastern Command, and Ravi Kant, Inspector General of BSF, Mizoram and Cachar Frontier headquarters.
The meeting assumes significance in view of the recent ethnic violence involving Naga and Kuki-Zo community members in Manipur’s hill districts.
More than 50 people have reportedly been killed and dozens of houses torched in clashes between the Naga and Kuki-Zo communities since February this year. The violence has largely been concentrated in Ukhrul, Kamjong, Kangpokpi and Tamenglong districts, Noney district and parts of Senapati district.
Manipur had earlier witnessed prolonged ethnic violence between the Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and the adjoining hill-based Kuki-Zo tribal communities. The violence left more than 300 people dead, while 49 people remained missing and thousands were displaced from their homes.
Meanwhile, Manipur DGP Mukesh Singh undertook a two-day visit to the ethnically mixed-population Jiribam district via National Highway-37 to review security arrangements and the situation in the region.
A senior police official said that during the visit, the DGP inspected resettlement localities of people affected by ethnic violence in Jiribam and Borobekra. He also reviewed security arrangements with senior officers and personnel of the Manipur Police, Manipur Rifles, Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other security formations.
The police chief emphasised Jiribam’s strategic importance as the eastern gateway to Manipur and issued instructions to strengthen measures to curb illicit drug trafficking through the region.
Singh also interacted with leaders of civil society organisations representing various communities, including Meitei, Hmar, Naga, Kuki and Paite, at the District Police Headquarters in Jiribam. He appreciated their efforts to maintain peace and promote understanding among the communities.
During the two-day tour, the DGP also inspected the Superintendent of Police’s office, the headquarters of the 7th Indian Reserve Battalion, Jiribam Police Station and Borobekra Police Station to assess the functioning of police establishments and security preparedness in the district.
The visits by the Chief Minister and the BSF chief, along with the DGP’s review of security and rehabilitation measures in Jiribam, come amid continuing efforts to maintain peace and restore normalcy in the violence-affected areas of Manipur.
–IANS
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