Chidambaram reiterates appeal to militants for talks

Militancy-related violence in northeastern states barring Assam and Manipur was subsiding, Union home minister P Chidambaram said today and appealed to all rebels to come forward for talks.

The Centre, he said, was working for solving problems of the northeastern states and stressed that peace was necessary for good governance.

Reiterating his call to militants, he told civil society representatives in interior Churanchandpur in Manipur that development in all fields would suffer if there was no peace.

Winding up his two-day visit, he said there was not much militancy-related violence in the state this year, but kidnapping of officials for ransom, extortion and crime against non-Manipuris by rebels were still continuing.

The Union minister also visited some designated camps of militant group Zomi Revolutionary Army which had earlier signed 'suspension of operation' agreement with the government under which operations against them by the security forces has stopped to enable to hold talks with the government.

Earlier, the Manipur government appealed to him for more central forces for security problems caused over the years by over 25 militant groups active in the state.

A high-level meeting between Chidamabaram and chief minister O Ibobi Singh last night also discussed protection of national highways frequently blocked by hill-based militant groups or organisations on one pretext or the other, official sources said.

The meeting discussed steps to prevent bandhs and blockades on national highways and felt that there should more deployment of central forces along the two national highways - Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati (NH 39) and Imphal-Silchar (NH 53), but it was not known what decision was taken, the sources said.

Militants, demanding extortion and targetting private residences with bombs came up during the meeting.

The sources said that the Union minister gave assurance that every possible measure would be taken to overcome the existing problems related to law and order.

Chidambaram also met governor Gurbachan Jagat and discussed the problems faced by the state, the sources said.

Chidambaram had said during a meeting with students yesterday that there was no question of redrawing the map of Manipur.