7 BJP MLAs meet Manipur Guv, urge for restoring free traffic on highways

Imphal: At least seven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers met Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Thursday, highlighting the problems faced by displaced locals and pitching for the restoration of free flow of traffic on the state’s highways.

The seven BJP MLAs included RK Imo, Usham Deben, Dinganglung Gangmei, Sapam Ranjan, K Ibomcha, Karam Shyam, and Sapam Kunjakeswor alias Keba.

“We met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to apprise him of the ongoing Manipur crisis and to push for the restoration of peace. We also highlighted the issues faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs), particularly the need to complete construction of their houses at safe locations, as many were destroyed during the unrest. Additionally, we urged the Governor to ensure the free flow of traffic on highways in Manipur, which continues to pose challenges for commuters,” Deben told HT.

The lawmakers’ meeting with the governor comes two days after the People’s Progressive Alliance Manipur (PPAM) — a coalition of 16 civil society organisations — issued a statement, demanding that a government be formed within a week. No one from the MLA delegation, however, commented on the PPAM demand and whether the meeting was triggered by it.

Also read: Manipur: Clash over land dispute leaves 1 dead, 5 injured in Ukhrul

President’s Rule was imposed in Manipur in February after N Biren Singh resigned as chief minister, days after the Supreme Court directed a central forensics lab to report on leaked audio tapes allegedly featuring him, in which he purportedly said the ethnic violence was instigated at his behest.

Since then, the 59 elected MLAs have been unable to agree on a new leader. The state assembly remains under suspended animation, and the BJP has yet to name a replacement chief minister.

The PPAM, in its statement, said the political delay in forming the new government has impacted law and order, worsening the situation. Their planned signature campaign aims to make MLAs publicly accountable for the ongoing crisis. The group also raised concerns about continued violence, especially along National Highway 2 between Sekmai and Kangpokpi.

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At least 260 people have been killed and over 60000 displaced in the ethnic violence in the state since May, 2023. The violence has forced the Meiteis and Kukis, the two communities in conflict, to retreat to their respective strongholds. The Meiteis, mostly Hindu, reside largely in the plains of the Imphal valley, while the Kukis, predominantly Christian, inhabit the hills. Fortified buffer zones now separate Meitei and Kuki-Zo areas.

Meanwhile, additional district magistrate Polly Makan has issued prohibitory orders restricting movement in Manipur’s Shangching and Lungreiphung Tang villages to maintain law and order, after one person was killed and five others injured in a clash between residents of the two villages over a land dispute.