Stringent action will be taken against all forms of infiltration into Manipur: Amit Shah

IMPHAL: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday assured a 13-member delegation of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi) that stringent action will be taken by the government against all forms of infiltration into Manipur’s territory.
During a meeting held with the Cocomi leaders at his official residence in New Delhi, Shah said measures are being implemented to register immigrants using biometrics, including retina scans.To address concerns about mass infiltration, the government is expediting border fencing in the Manipur sector, the home minister told the delegation led by the committee’s coordinator, Jeetendra Ningomba.
Appealing for peace in Manipur, Shah requested Cocomi, an apex civil body of the state, to convey this message to the people, said a statement issued by the committee. Shah also iterated that “there will be no allowance for separate administration in Manipur”.
A few days after ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, ten Kuki-Zo MLAs, including seven from the ruling BJP, had demanded that the Centre create a separate administration for their community in the state. Stating that the movement and distribution of commodities in the state can be possibly realised with the support of both the communities, Shah said necessary deployment of convoys to secure the highways shall be done in a few days, the statement added.
In the meeting, Cocomi was encouraged to initiate dialogues with responsible Kuki leaders and groups to “facilitate problem-solving and peace-building,” it said. Following the meeting, Cocomi submitted a representation letter to the Union minister, who forwarded it to the Union home secretary for further discussion on the outlined points. As per the minister’s instructions, Cocomi had a detailed discussion with the director of the Intelligence Bureau and security advisor (NE), AK Mishra.
Cocomi presented the complexities of issues affecting Manipur, including “illegal immigration, cross-border narco-terrorism, exploitation of forest resources,” and violations of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) ground rules by signatory Kuki militant groups.
The MHA officials acknowledged and took note of these critical points, while Mishra provided “insights into the current crisis in Manipur and its understanding of critical issues,” the statement said.
After a thorough discussion, the officials emphasized the importance of continued engagement and cooperation with the government and stakeholders to facilitate a quicker resolution of the crisis.