Congress leader Rahul Gandhi landed in Imphal on a two-day visit to violence-hit Manipur on Thursday morning. During the visit, he will meet the victims in relief camps and interact with civil society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur.
The senior Congress leader will be the first mainstream Opposition leader to visit the state after the ethnic strife broke out in early May.
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“Rahul Gandhi will be in the state on June 29-30 during which he will visit relief camps and interact with civil society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur,” Congress General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal tweeted earlier.
“Manipur has been burning for nearly two months, and desperately needs a healing touch so that society can move from conflict to peace. This is a humanitarian tragedy and it is our responsibility to be a force of love, not hate,” he added.
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Manipur violence
The clashes in Manipur began on May 3 after a conflict broke out between the Meitei and Kuki communities in the state. Manipur has witnessed multiple incidents of violence, including attacks on the houses of government officials since then.
The clashes were triggered during a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Home minister Amit Shah, who undertook a visit to Manipur in May, also convened an all-party meet on the crisis in the state on June 25.