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Sources privy to the deliberations said Shah told the meeting the situation in Manipur was slowly returning to normal and not a single person has died since June 13 in the violence in the northeastern state.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The home minister, who had convened the meeting, sought the cooperation of all the political parties to help defuse the situation and restore peace and trust among various communities in Manipur at the earliest.
Shah told the meeting the Modi government is committed to solve the Manipur problem by taking everyone together, the sources said. Shah said Modi has been constantly monitoring the situation in Manipur since day one and "guiding us with full sensitivity" to find a solution to the problem, the sources said.
The priority of the Modi government is that no more lives should be lost due to violence in the state, Shah said.
Nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 injured since the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3. A large number of houses were torched rendering many people homeless in the violence between Meitei and Kuki communities.
At the four-hour-long meeting held at the Parliament House complex, several opposition parties including the Congress said an all-party delegation should be sent to Manipur. Some of the parties also demanded the immediate sacking of Chief Minister N Biren Singh and imposition of President's rule in the BJP-ruled state.
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Eighteen political parties including the BJP and four MPs from the northeast and two chief ministers from the region attended the meeting.
All efforts are being made to restore peace in Manipur on instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah told the meeting, according to BJP's Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra.
"Efforts to restore peace in Manipur are being taken on the instructions of the prime minister," Patra told reporters.
Shah also told the meeting that since the violence began in the state, there has "not been a single day" when he did not speak to Prime Minister Modi on the situation or the prime minister did not give instructions, Patra said.
The home minister said all political parties sensitively and apolitically gave their suggestions for restoration of peace in Manipur and the Central government will consider them with an open mind, according to sources.
The opposition parties have been critical of the Centre's handling of the Manipur situation and questioned what they called the prime minister's "silence" on the issue.
The home minister said 36,000 security personnel including 40 IPS officers have been deployed in Manipur, while 20 medical teams were also despatched, according to the sources. It may be mentioned that so far, 1,800 looted weapons have been surrendered to authorities.
The supply of all essential items including medicines is being ensured, Shah said.
Fencing work on a 10-km stretch of Myanmar-Manipur border has been completed, Shah said, adding tendering exercise for 80 km of the border fencing is over and a survey of the remaining border is underway.
He expressed gratitude on behalf of Prime Minister Modi and the government to all political parties for giving "useful suggestions" to resolve the Manipur issue.
According to the sources, BJP President JP Nadda said all possible steps are being taken by the Centre and the Home Minister to find a solution to the Manipur problem at the earliest.
Prime Minister Modi has been keeping an eye on this whole issue since day one, Nadda was quoted as saying by the sources.
The Manipur issue is very sensitive and needs to be handled with sensitivity, he said.
Nadda said the Manipur issue is rooted in many historical factors which have also led to the current flare-up.
The home minister himself stayed in Manipur for four days and held a detailed discussion with all groups and visited relief camps, Nadda said, adding Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai stayed there for more than 20 days.
"The Modi government is doing everything possible to bring the situation back to normal, we are sure that peace will return to Manipur very soon," Nadda was quoted as saying by the sources.
Leaders of various political parties, including the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, AIADMK, Aam Aadmi Party and the Left, attended the meeting.
Besides Nadda, those who attended the meeting included former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh (Congress), Derek O'Brien (TMC), Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Singh (NPP), Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Sikkim Krantikari Morcha), Birendra Prasad Baishya (Asom Gana Parishad), M Thambi Durai (AIADMK), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Pinaki Misra (BJD), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Manoj Jha (RJD) and Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena).
The Trinamool Congress demanded an all-party delegation be sent to Manipur within a week as it questioned the government's handling of the situation.
Ibobi Singh of the Congress later told reporters that peace was not possible under the present state government headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh. He demanded Biren Singh's immediate replacement.
"The Congress and some other parties also demanded that an all-party delegation be sent to Manipur and we hope that the prime minister will hold a similar meeting after his return from foreign trip," he said. Ibobi Singh also presented an eight-point charter of demands on behalf of the Congress.
At his media interaction, Patra said efforts were underway to maintain peace in the state.
"The good news for us is that no one has lost life since June 13. Efforts are on to ensure that this peace continues to remain in place in the state."
Patra said the home ministry gave a presentation at the meeting on how the violence began in Manipur, what triggered the violence, what steps have been taken so far and what steps will be taken to restore peace in the state.
All party leaders present at the meeting raised their concerns and expressed their view "in a very sensitive manner, rising above political lines," Patra said.
"All political parties unanimously accepted that Home Minister Amit Shah's three-day and three-night stay in Manipur was an unprecedented move as somewhere or the other, it brought in a sense of positivity and Manipur moved forward," Patra, who was also present at the meeting, said.
Addressing a press conference along with senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Ibobi Singh said the unity and territorial integrity of Manipur should not be compromised at any cost.
Grievances of each and every community must be heard and addressed sensitively, Ramesh said, adding that steps should be taken by the Centre to ensure availability of essential commodities by keeping the two national highways open and secure at all times 24 hours a day.
"A package of relief, rehabilitation, resettlement, and livelihood for the affected people must be prepared without delay. The relief package announced is grossly inadequate," he told reporters.