Manipur CM hopeful of early solution to ethnic crisis in state

Imphal, July 25 (IANS) Before departing for the national capital on Thursday, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh expressed optimism about finding a solution to the ongoing ethnic unrest in the state.The Chief Minister sounded confident that his meetings with the Central leaders in Delhi would provide an opportunity to find an early solution to the ethnic turmoil.“Some positive developments would surely come out soon. I would brief the Prime Minister and other Central leaders about the prevailing situation in the state,” he told the media.In Delhi, Singh is scheduled to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting and a Chief Ministers’ Conclave on Saturday, both to be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.He is also hopeful for a one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the state’s issues and find a tangible solution to restore normalcy.Since May 3 last year, Manipur has been hit by unprecedented ethnic violence between the Chin-Kuki-Zos and the Meiteis, claiming the lives of at least 220 people, and displacing over 60,000 people from both communities.Opposition parties, including the Congress, have criticised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for not allocating any special financial assistance to Manipur in the Union Budget.Commenting on the matter, Singh accused the opposition of doing ‘petty