Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Imphal to meet with Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and other groups to discuss the ethnic violence that has led to 105 deaths and over 320 injuries since May 3. Sarma, who is also the Convenor of BJP-led North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), plans to hold more meetings with MLAs and various ethnic groups. The outcome of the meetings is yet unknown. The Central government has formed a Peace Committee with Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey as the Chairperson to bring normalcy to the state. The Committee will include Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, state Ministers, MPs, MLAs, leaders from different political parties, former civil servants, educationists, litterateurs, artists, social workers and representatives of different ethnic groups. The Committee’s mandate is to facilitate the peacemaking process among various ethnic groups of the state, including peaceful dialogue and negotiations between conflicting parties or groups. A three-member Commission of Inquiry, set up by the MHA on June 4 to probe the violence, arrived in Imphal on Friday.
