The central government has constituted a Peace Committee in Manipur under the chairpersonship of the State Governor aimed at facilitating the peacemaking process among various ethnic groups there, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) statement said on Saturday.
The committee members include the Chief Minister, a few Ministers of the Manipur government, Members of Parliament, 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.
The mandate of the Committee will be to facilitate a peacemaking process among various ethnic groups of the state, including peaceful dialogue and negotiations between conflicting parties and groups, said the MHA statement.
“The committee should strengthen social cohesiveness, mutual understanding and facilitate cordial communication between various ethnic groups” it said.
The committee was formed days after, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced the constitution of the peace committee after taking stock of the situation of Manipur during his four-day visit there between May 29 to June 1.
The violence in Manipur erupted on May 3 during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
The march was organized in protest against the demand for inclusion of the state’s Meitei community in the ST category, following an April 19 Manipur High Court directive.
Violence has gripped the entire State for now a month and the Central government had to deploy paramilitary forces to bring the situation under control.