Govt moved people from one area to another to save lives: Manipur CM

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said his government moved people from one area to another after violence broke out in May last year to protect them.

Responding to the opposition's queries on shifting of people from Churachandpur and Moreh to Imphal Valley and from the state capital to the hills, Singh said on Thursday, "The night violence broke out (May 3), we couldn't sleep. We were in the office discussing things to be done immediately."

"Those affected in Moreh were kept at an Assam Rifles camp and those in Churachandpur were in the Secretariat. Initially, we thought of keeping them there but there were constant cries for help and there was pressure from all sides claiming the affected were not safe in their present locations. Hence, with saving lives being our top priority, the government decided to evacuate them," he said.

Questions are now being raised as to why they were shifted from Churachandpur and Moreh to Imphal Valley and vice versa but had they not been shifted and had there been unfortunate incidents, it would have raised a different question, and created much frustration, the CM said.

Singh said, "Mobs numbering tens of thousands had assembled and you cannot simply fire on the people indiscriminately."

"There are plenty working to sabotage the peace process. Only a day after peace initiatives were announced in Jiribam district, there were incidents of arson. There were many who still want the conflict to continue as well as build it up," he alleged.

"Still, we are seeing signs of peace. Recently, 133 people who had fled their homes in Jiribam have returned. We are working to ensure that those displaced also return to their homes," he said.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless after ethnic violence broke out between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and hills-based Kukis in May last year.