A peace committee led by Governor Anusuiya Uikey and including the chief minister N Biren Singh was established in Manipur by the federal government to mediate peace between the state's diverse ethnic groups through talks and negotiations.
The purpose of the peace committee, which was established on June 1 in Imphal as part of a number of measures to put an end to the conflict in Manipur and quickly restore calm and peace, is to facilitate the process of establishing peace between the state's various ethnic groups. In a press release, the home ministry stated, “The committee should strengthen social cohesiveness, mutual understanding and facilitate cordial communication between various ethnic groups.”
The committee members include few ministers in the state government as well as MPs, MLAs and leaders from different political parties in the state. The panel shall also include former civil servants, educationists, litterateurs, artists, social workers and representatives of different ethnic groups.
Men wearing khaki clothes gun down 3 in Imphal West
Three persons were shot dead in a Manipur village that is shared by the districts of Kangpokpi and Imphal West by attackers wearing khaki who claimed to be part of a "combing operation" and were sleeping in a church. One of the victims was a 67-year-old widow.
Following a bombing outside the private property of BJP legislator S Kebi Devi in Imphal West, two more people were hurt in the incident at Khoken hamlet, continuing a pattern of burglaries and arson attacks on the residences of sitting MLAs in the state.
According to officials, the gunmen behind the attack in Khoken village came in olive green “military-type vehicles”. Security forces patrolling a nearby area reached the village on hearing gunshots, leading to a shootout before the assailants escaped.
Since May 3, there have been over 100 deaths, thousands wounded and numerous village and home fires. Thousands of people who were escaping the violence found refuge in relief camps or relocated, notably to the nearby states of Assam, Nagaland, and Mizoram.