The Centre has set up a committee to facilitate the peacemaking process in Manipur, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday.
The committee will be headed by Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey and will comprise government and civil society members.
"The members of committee include Chief Minister, a few Ministers in the State Government, MP, MLAs and leaders from different political parties. The Committee also includes former civil servants, educationists, litterateurs, artists, social workers and representatives of different ethnic groups," said MHA in a press release.
Manipur was in the grips of widespread violence for several days last month. Nearly 100 people died and 300 were injured in the violence, which also led to the displacement of 37,450 people who were housed in 272 relief camps, according to a statement from the Manipur Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on June 2. The statement also said that 4,014 cases of arson have been reported since the violence broke out in the state on May 33,734 cases have been registered and 65 people have been arrested.
The MHA also said that the mandate of the committee will be to facilitate the peace-making process among various ethnic groups of the state, initiate peaceful dialogue and negotiations between conflicting parties and groups.
The MHA further said that the committee will strengthen social cohesiveness, mutual understanding and facilitate cordial communication between various ethnic groups.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Manipur from May 29 to June 1 and had announced the constitution of the peace committee after taking stock of the situation.
Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
Earlier, the Centre also set up a three-member panel headed by a retired judge to investigate the Manipur violence. It will be headed by former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajai Lamba and will also include retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar. The panel will submit its report within six months.
The commission will make inquiry with respect of the causes and spread of the violence and riots targeting members of different communities, which took place in Manipur on May 3 and thereafter, according to a notification issued by the Union Home Ministry.
It will probe the sequence of events leading to, and all the facts relating to such violence; whether there were any lapses or dereliction of duty in this regard on the part of any of the responsible authorities/individuals and adequacy of the administrative measures taken to prevent, and to deal with the violence and riots.
(With PTI inputs)
