Manipur CM Biren Singh blames 'foreign plot' and 'misunderstandings' for ethnic strife

 Singh urged all to stop the violence and bring back the rapid progress the state had witnessed earlier

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh salutes after hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day, in Imphal, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023.

PTI, Imphal,16.08.23 : Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh on Tuesday said certain misunderstandings, actions of vested interests and a foreign plot to destabilise the country had led to the loss of precious lives and properties in the state.

Singh said this after hoisting the national flag at the 1st Manipur Rifles parade ground here on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day event. Independence Day celebrations were held in all hill and valley districts of the state.

He urged all to stop the violence and bring back the rapid progress the state had witnessed earlier.

“Certain misunderstandings, actions of vested interests and a foreign plot to destabilise the country has led to the loss of precious lives and properties and many are living in relief camps,” the chief minister said.

The government is working consistently to bring back normality and the affected people will be resettled soon, Singh said, adding that those who cannot be shifted to the original places immediately will be shifted temporarily to pre-fabricated houses which are under construction.

“To err is human, so we must learn to forgive and forget,” Singh said.

The BJP leader said a committee had been constituted to initiate a “one family one livelihood” project and rehabilitate the people.

“The government has never done anything against the provisions of the Constitution and will never ever do such as act,” he said.

Singh said the war on drugs was not targeted at any particular community or persons but was an effort by the government to save the nation and the future generation from the menace of drug abuse.

“The war on drugs was initiated during the last part of 2018 as drugs were having a huge impact on the state with over 1 lakh drug users among the population,” he said.

“Since 2017, the BJP government has been working consistently for the welfare of the state by understanding the pulse of the people and there was no form of conflict, bandh and blockade for the last six years,” the chief minister said, adding “more funds were added to the budgets to bring development at far-off villages in the state”.

Singh said the government could not remain a mute spectator to the widespread deforestation for poppy cultivation and resolved to annihilate drugs.

“Manipur is the gatekeeper of the country against the illicit trafficking of drugs and narcotics from the Golden Triangle and the state is guarding the country’s youth population from drugs,” he said.

The chief minister said deforestation had affected climatic conditions in the state and the distribution of salt and fertilisers for poppy cultivation had affected the water resources.