Amit Shah chairs high-level Manipur meet, orders free movement from March 8

Guwahati, Mar 1: Amidst President’s Rule in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday in New Delhi, instructing security forces to ensure the free movement of people across all routes in the state from March 8.

This directive implies the removal of highway checkposts, allowing residents to travel freely within the state.

During the meeting, Shah also emphasised the need to curb illegal cross-border movement along the Indo-Myanmar border. He ordered that fencing work at designated entry points be expedited, reinforcing border security.

In addition, Shah called for intensified efforts to dismantle Manipur’s drug trafficking network, aiming to make the state drug-free.

The meeting was attended by Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, along with senior officials including the Union Home Secretary, Intelligence Bureau Director, Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Eastern Command Army Commander, and top officials from BSF, CRPF, Assam Rifles, and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

This was the first such meeting since President’s Rule was imposed on February 13, following the resignation of then-Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

In a bid to restore peace, the Manipur governor had earlier appealed for the surrender of illegal arms, particularly urging youths to voluntarily hand over looted and illegal weapons at the nearest police station, outpost, or security forces camp within seven days.

However, following public requests from both hill and valley regions, the deadline was extended by another week, pushing the new surrender cut-off to 4 pm on March 6.

This meeting follows a detailed security review convened by Shah in November 2024, where he assessed the law-and-order situation in Manipur.