Editor
In short: Rajiv Singh appointed as new DGP of Manipur amidst escalating violence. Home Minister announces judicial probe and peace committee. CBI to investigate violence. Tensions arise from Meitei community's demand for ST status and eviction of Kuki villagers. Fresh leadership aims to resolve crisis.
MANIPUR: In a significant development amid the ongoing crisis and escalating violence in manipur, rajiv singh, an indian police service (ips) officer from the tripura cadre, has been appointed as the new director general of police (dgp) for the northeastern state. the reshuffle in the police leadership comes as the state grapples with a death toll of at least 80 lives lost in the recent clashes.
previously serving as the inspector general of the central reserve police force (crpf), mr. singh was sent on an inter-cadre deputation to manipur from the centre on may 29. the current dgp, p doungel, has been transferred to the home department as part of this restructuring. this move is believed to be an attempt by the ministry of home affairs (mha) to address local dynamics by appointing a non-tribal, non-meitei police chief, thereby aiming to avoid potential controversies.
the decision to reshuffle the police leadership follows union home minister amit shah's announcement of a judicial probe into the clashes and the establishment of a peace committee to address the crisis. during a press conference, mr. shah emphasized the importance of dialogue as the key to resolving the violence. he also stated that a judicial probe, led by a retired high court chief justice, will be announced soon. the peace committee, under the governor of manipur, anusuiya uikey, will include representatives from all political parties, the kuki and meitei communities, as well as various social organizations.
additionally, the home minister disclosed plans for a central bureau of investigation (cbi) probe into five criminal conspiracies and one general conspiracy related to the violence in manipur. mr. shah expressed optimism about the situation normalizing soon, characterizing the violence as a temporary phase driven by misunderstandings.
the outbreak of ethnic violence in manipur originated from a 'tribal solidarity march' organized on may 3 in the hill districts to protest the demand for scheduled tribe (st) status by the majority meitei community. this demand has implications for the distribution of government benefits. prior to the violence, tensions had already been building due to the eviction of kuki villagers from reserve forest land, leading to a series of smaller agitations.
after a relatively calm period of over two weeks, the state recently witnessed a sudden surge in clashes and firing between insurgents and security forces on sunday. the situation remains tense, and the appointment of a new dgp is expected to bring fresh leadership and a different approach to resolving the ongoing crisis in manipur.