Imphal, Dec 28 (NationPress) After enduring months of intense ethnic conflict, Manipur is beginning to exhibit signs of a steady return to normalcy following the imposition of President's Rule approximately 11 months ago.

The state has been under President's Rule since February 13, just four days after N. Biren Singh stepped down as Chief Minister. Since that time, there have been no significant incidents of violence, reflecting a notable improvement in the law and order situation.

To foster peace and development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a visit to Manipur on September 13, during which he launched 31 development initiatives totaling around Rs 8,500 crore.

From the Peace Ground in the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district, the Prime Minister laid the groundwork for 19 projects worth Rs 7,300 crore, emphasizing that peace is a prerequisite for development.

On the same day, from the historical Kangla Fort in Imphal, he inaugurated 17 infrastructure projects valued at Rs 1,200 crore, asserting that a 'Viksit Bharat' is bolstered by a 'Viksit Manipur'.

The Prime Minister lamented the violence in Manipur, highlighting the state's rich tradition of battling injustice, and urged collective efforts to restore peace, prosperity, and development, noting that Manipur has seen accelerated growth over the past 11 years.

Within three months of the Prime Minister's visit, President Droupadi Murmu undertook a two-day trip to Manipur on December 11 and 12.

During her visit, she participated in the 86th Nupi Lal Day commemoration in Imphal and launched several development initiatives in Imphal and the Naga tribal-dominated Senapati district.

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), representing the Kuki-Zo tribes, welcomed both the Prime Minister and President's visits.

President Murmu also attended a polo match at the ancient Imphal Polo Ground (Mapal Kangjeibung), recognized as one of the oldest polo venues globally, highlighting the Centre's commitment to cultural heritage and regional development.

On December 12, she visited the Senapati district, addressed a public gathering, and inaugurated various projects.

Another significant development during President's Rule has been the recovery and surrender of a substantial cache of arms and ammunition.

As of March 6, around 1,000 looted and illegally possessed weapons, including advanced firearms, along with large quantities of ammunition, were returned to security forces following appeals from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.

Officials estimate that over 6,000 weapons and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition were taken from police stations and outposts amid the violence that erupted on May 3, 2023.

Prior to Biren Singh's resignation, 3,422 firearms were voluntarily surrendered.

Since President's Rule was established, more than 3,000 sophisticated arms and over 22,000 rounds of ammunition have been surrendered or recovered by joint security forces.

Between June 14 and July 28 alone, over 870 firearms and 12,820 rounds of ammunition were recovered from both valley and hilly regions.

Joint teams, including the Manipur Police, Commando, Army, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), have continued their search and counter-insurgency operations in the valley and mountainous areas.

A senior police official stated that the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and Manipur Police, through coordinated operations, have eradicated over 1,000 acres of illegal poppy farming in Manipur's hilly districts during November and December, effectively thwarting an attempt to produce opium valued at several crores.

This illegal poppy cultivation was primarily destroyed across six mountainous districts in Manipur: Kangpokpi, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel, Tengnoupal, and Senapati.

The police official noted that the eradicated illegal poppy fields had the potential to produce approximately 9,000 kg of opium, worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

A Defence Spokesman indicated that the comprehensive operation against illegal poppy farming was conducted under challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions, underscoring the steadfast commitment of the Assam Rifles and other forces to combat illicit narcotics cultivation and dismantle the financial networks supporting insurgencies and other anti-national activities.

Manipur's Director General of Police Rajiv Singh asserted that the “reduction of weaponization in society” is vital for re-establishing peace, stressing that dialogue between communities will further aid in normalizing the situation.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs held a series of discussions with civil society organizations, including the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) and the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), representing the apex bodies of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, respectively, to tackle the ongoing crisis.

A pivotal development was the signing of a tripartite agreement on September 4 in New Delhi between the Centre, state government, and Kuki-Zo armed groups under Suspension of Operations (SoO).

Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel stated that the government prioritizes restoring peace and normalcy, emphasizing that the September 4 agreement will be implemented diligently, including measures to reopen the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2), a crucial lifeline for the state.

The Centre has also effectively dismissed demands for the establishment of a separate Union Territory with a legislature for the Kuki-Zo community.

Nearly all organizations of Kuki-Zo tribes and the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) have been advocating for a separate administration or Union Territory for the tribals in Manipur since the onset of the ethnic violence.

To rejuvenate public life and restore confidence, the state government has resumed significant cultural and sporting events after a two-year hiatus, including the Shirui Lily Festival (May 20-24) in Ukhrul district, the ten-day long Sangai Tourism Festival (November 21-30), the five-day Sangai Film Festival (November 24-28), and the 134th edition of the Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament, commencing on July 30.

Thuingaleng Muivah, General Secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), visited his birthplace in Somdal village of Manipur's Ukhrul district for the first time in 50 years.

During his week-long stay, the nonagenarian Naga leader, also the Ato Kilonser (Prime Minister) of NSCN-IM, visited the Naga tribal-majority Senapati district and addressed a public assembly.

Former Chief Minister Biren Singh remarked that the law and order situation in Manipur has improved under President's Rule. Political activities have also gained momentum, with BJP MLAs convening meetings with Central leaders in New Delhi, even as the opposition Congress criticized the initiative, labeling it a “crash course” amid the ongoing crisis.

Singh, along with 33 other MLAs, recently visited Delhi at the invitation of BJP Central leaders, where discussions concerning various issues in Manipur took place on December 14.

Manipur BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi also participated in this crucial meeting, which included two senior Union BJP leaders, B.L. Santhosh and Sambit Patra.

In a post on X, Manipur Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh stated: “Instead of restoring law and order in Manipur, the BJP has reduced its MLAs to students, attending crash courses in Delhi on how to justify administrative failures back home.”

The non-tribal Meiteis represent about 53 percent of Manipur's approximately 3.2 million residents and predominantly reside in the valley regions, while the tribal Nagas, Kuki, Zo, and Hmar compose another 40 percent and inhabit the hilly districts, which comprise around 90 percent of Manipur's geographical area.

The ethnic violence, which erupted on May 3, 2023, resulted in over 260 fatalities, around 1,500 injuries, and more than 70,000 displacements.

Over 300 relief camps are currently housing nearly 59,000 displaced individuals across both valley and hilly districts.

Despite ongoing challenges, officials and political leaders concur that Manipur is gradually progressing towards stability, with continuous efforts being made to restore peace, rebuild trust, and revitalize development in the violence-affected state.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujitchakrabortyne@gmail.com)