Ajay Kumar Bhalla Set to Become New Governor of Manipur on January 3
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Imphal, Dec 31 (NationPress) Ajay Kumar Bhalla is poised to officially take on the role of Governor of Manipur starting January 3, as confirmed by officials on Tuesday.
The oath of office and secrecy will be administered to Bhalla by Manipur High Court Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar at the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Friday.
On December 24, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Bhalla, a former Union Home Secretary, as the new Governor, succeeding Anusuiya Uikey.
Since July 31, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya has been managing additional responsibilities for the state.
Bhalla, an officer from the 1984 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) belonging to the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has held significant positions within the Ministry of Home Affairs, equipping him with a wealth of experience in addressing crises in the northeastern region.
He held the position of Union Home Secretary during the onset of ethnic violence between the majority Meitei and minority Kok-Jo communities in Manipur, which erupted on May 3, 2023.
Over the course of 20 months of ethnic unrest, more than 250 individuals from both communities lost their lives, over 1,000 were injured, and upwards of 60,000 people were displaced from their homes.
Bhalla's appointment as Governor is viewed as a crucial step in addressing the ongoing ethnic tensions in this diverse northeastern state.
Despite significant deployments of Central security forces and the partial reimplementation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in certain regions, violent incidents continue to occur in select districts. Numerous organizations, including the prominent Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which represents the Meitei community, have been advocating for the repeal of AFSPA.
Recently, the Chief Minister of Manipur acknowledged that resolving the ongoing ethnic conflict is a complex, chronic, and delicate process, emphasizing that the situation has gradually improved, with many districts remaining incident-free in recent months.
“The state and Central security forces, along with the civil administration, are doing their utmost to uphold a violence-free environment while providing essential services to the populace,” Biren Singh stated in a media briefing.
