Union Home Minister Amit Shah is currently chairing a critical high-level meeting in New Delhi to review the security situation in Manipur, marking his first such assessment since the imposition of President’s Rule on February 13, 2025. Held at the Ministry of Home Affairs in North Block and having started at 11:00 AM IST, the meeting has brought together key stakeholders, including Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, Intelligence Bureau Chief Tapan Deka, and senior officials from the Army and paramilitary forces. The focus is on addressing the persistent ethnic violence that has plagued the state since May 3, 2023, claiming around 250 lives and displacing thousands.

The review comes at a pivotal moment, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9 amid escalating unrest and political turmoil. President’s Rule was imposed shortly after, placing the state assembly under suspended animation until 2027. Shah is expected to evaluate Governor Bhalla’s recent efforts to restore order, including a renewed push to recover illegal arms—over 300 weapons have been surrendered since Bhalla extended a surrender deadline to March 6. The meeting also aims to strategize disarmament, enforce law against armed groups, and initiate dialogue between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, whose conflict lies at the heart of the crisis.

Manipur’s unrest, sparked by a tribal march opposing the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe status, has defied resolution despite central interventions. Shah’s directives today could signal a more assertive approach to stabilizing the region, as the central government seeks to reclaim control and rebuild trust.