Shah lands in Imphal amid Manipur tension

Union home minister Amit Shah landed in Manipur on Monday night, aiming to defuse ethnic tensions that have killed 80 people in the northeastern state this month, even as security forces continued to fend off sporadic bursts of violence and apprehend people allegedly stealing and stockpiling weapons in the restive region.

- Utpal Parashar and Tanmay Chatterjee

Shah arrived at Bir Tikendrajit Imphal International Airport at 9.30pm on Monday, a day after fresh clashes rocked the state and killed five people. He met chief minister N Biren Singh, members of the state cabinet, security officials, and later, governor Anasuiya Uikey, in talks that went deep into the light. Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai has been stationed in Imphal since Thursday, and army chief General Manoj Pande visited the state over the weekend.

Shah is expected to hold talks with all stakeholders over the next three days.

Manipur has been convulsed by ethnic violence since May 3, with the bulk of the clashes between the Meitei community, which constitutes the majority of the state's population, and the Kukis, who live largely in the hill districts.

But after a period of relative calm, violence flared up in the past week with a string of clashes and shootings, culminating in Sunday's deaths.

The same evening, Singh said that state forces had killed at least 40 Kuki militants in the past four days in Imphal Valley, triggering denials and outrage from the tribal community.

The renewed violence showed why talks are important to build bridges between communities in a region defined by deep ethnic divisions.

The state government, which has failed so far to bring both sides to a common ground, must focus on peace talks and confidence-building measures if it wants to defuse simmering tension that's fuelling instability in a sensitive region.

All sides welcomed Shah's visit.