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The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Manipur govt will ensure Gwaltabi incident does not occur in future: Chief Secretary
Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh on Thursday (May 29, 2025) said that the government will ensure that the incident at Gwaltabi, where security forces allegedly covered the state's name written in the windshield of a bus with a white paper, does not occur in future. He said the administration is committed to the integrity of the State of Manipur. Addressing a press conference with Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, the Chief Secretary said the recently concluded Shirui festival at Ukhrul district attracted about 1.70 lakh people, and people of all communities travelled with families from valley areas and other parts of the state as well as from outside the state. Mr. Singh acknowledged that an unfortunate incident happened at Gwaltabi on May 20 when a Manipur State Road Transport Bus ferrying journalists to the festival was stopped, and the name of the state written on the windshield was reportedly covered with a white paper, leading to widespread criticism. Over the last week, protests over the Gwaltabi incident have rocked the Meitei-inhabited Imphal Valley. Mr. Singh said, "That there had been no instructions whatsoever or even remote thought of covering the name of the State, as has been alleged. This has been amply clarified by the state government as well as by the responsible political leadership. What transpired on the ground, would be revealed after a thorough inquiry only." Expressing regret over the incident, Mr. Singh also said the state administration has taken the reported untoward incident with utmost seriousness and the Governor has constituted an Inquiry Committee which will submit its report in a timebound manner. Urging all to maintain public order, Singh also assured all concerned that "Once the report is submitted and those responsible for the lapses, if any, are identified, strict action would be taken." "The state government will also ensure that such incident does not occur in future. The administration is committed to the integrity of the state of Manipur, and the only aim of all these efforts is to establish lasting peace in the state," Mr. Singh added.
The Print
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Former Manipur CM N Biren Singh discusses prevailing situation in state with governor
It was alleged that security forces had stopped a state-run bus, on which journalists were being taken by the government to cover the Shirui Lily festival in Ukhrul district on May 20, near the Gwaltabi checkpost and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) staffers to cover the state's name written on the windshield with a white paper. Over the last week, protests over the Gwaltabi incident have rocked the Meitei-inhabited Imphal Valley. Imphal, May 27 (PTI) Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday said that he discussed the prevailing situation in the state with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and urged him to invite the protesters for talks to resolve the Gwaltabi incident. Addressing a late-night press conference, Singh said, 'Today I meet governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. I discussed with him regarding the prevailing situation in the state and suggested some points. He listened and necessary actions will be initiated to resolve the present crisis by inviting the protesters. I hope so.' Singh said he also apprised the governor about the issues of internally displaced people (IDP) staying in relief camps. 'I also apprised him (governor) about the issues of IDPs who are staying in relief camps as well as the sufferings of the valley people due to the non-opening of national highways. People are not able to travel by road and I apprised him of that,' he said. 'I also urged him to disarm all those miscreants who are in possession of illegal arms. Only then, we can proceed for peace,' Singh said. The former CM said that the purpose of the meeting included showing appreciation to the Ministry of Home Affairs for setting 30-day deadline to identify illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. 'Today's main purpose of visit was to appreciate the Ministry of Home Affairs for setting a deadline of 30 days to identify illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar… I also submitted all documents which were started in 2021 during which several illegal immigrants were identified under the leadership of then minister Letpao Haokip, who was the chairman of a sub-committee to look into the matter,' Singh said. Later in a post on X, Singh said, 'We had a detailed discussion on a range of pressing issues concerning the state, including issues regarding the Gwaltabi incident and to resolve the tensions arising from it.' 'We also had a talk on the initiatives taken under the BJP-led government in line with the Ministry of Home Affairs' 30-day directive- from biometric registration and verification drives to deportation of undocumented foreign nationals… I requested the Governor to seek an extension of the 30-day deadline issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. These measures are vital for ensuring national security and preserving Manipur's cultural fabric,' Singh added. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups, who are the majority in the hill areas, since May 2023. The Centre imposed the President's rule in the state on February 13 after N Biren Singh resigned as chief minister. The assembly, which has tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation. PTI COR RG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
