'Destabilising Impact Of Migrants...': Amid Fresh Protests In Manipur, EAM Says Efforts On To Bring Normalcy

EAM S Jaishankar said that Manipur has destabilising impact of migrants in Manipur and added that efforts are on to bring normalcy.

Efforts are on in Manipur by the state and central governments to bring back normalcy and there is adequate law-and-order enforcement in the state, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Tuesday at the Council on Foreign Relations responding to a question on the ongoing tensions in the northeastern state. "...I think one part of the problem in Manipur has been the destabilising impact of migrants who have come," he said. Jaishankar's statement comes amid fresh protests in the state over the kidnapping and suspected killing of two students by armed miscreants.

"But there are also tensions which obviously have a long history which precede that. And today, I think the effort is on the part of the state government and the Union government to find a way by which a sense of normalcy returns, that arms which were seized during that period are recovered, that there is an adequate law-and-order enforcement out there so that incidents of violence don't happen," the Union minister said.

Earlier this month, a group of United Nations experts said they are "appalled" by reports and images of violence in Manipur and urged the Indian government to take robust action and hold the perpetrators to account. 

The comments were rejected by India as "unwarranted, presumptive and misleading”, and asserted that the situation in the state was peaceful. When asked about dismissing the comments, Jaishankar said, "The comment wasn't made by me personally but by the spokesperson. Was that comment correct? My answer to you would be yes," he said.

Fresh Protest In Manipur Over Suspected Killing Of 2 Students 

Hundreds of agitated students took to the streets in violence-hit Manipur's twin districts of Imphal East and Imphal West to protest agaisnt the kidnapping and suspected killings of two students by armed miscreants. 

The protestors engaged in a scuffle with the security forces which lobbed tear gas shells to control the irate mob as it tried to storm into Chief Minister N Biren Singh's Imphal residence. 

Several students were injured who were taken to hospital with at least 31 of them being admitted to the Raj Medicity Hospital in Imphal.