AFSPA, the contentious military law, is causing simmering conflict

The simmering tensions over the contentious military legislation AFSPA were absent from Union Home Minister Amit Shah's campaign in Manipur on Wednesday, where he promised to hold peace talks with the state's Kuki militant groups and bring peace to the state within the next five years.

Mr. Shah said in an election rally in Manipur's Churachandpur district that now that the problem of Bodo militancy has been solved in neighboring Assam, no Kuki youth will have to carry arms. He was completely silent on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives the military sweeping powers over much of the northeast and has been in the spotlight since a botched encounter in Nagaland left 14 locals and one soldier dead in December.

Militant groups such as the Kuki National Organisation and the United People's Front demanded that the Kuki tribe be given its own state in Manipur. They have signed a Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the government.

Amit Shah said, "Have confidence in us, we will talk to all Kuki organizations, and a new life will be given to all Kuki youths to enable them to join the development of the nation, of the hills and of Manipur under PM Modi." 

"We have brought them (Bodo rebels) to the path of development and today, no Bodo youths have weapons in their hands. Instead, they have motorcycle keys, keys to industries and laptops," Mr. Shah claimed.

The same has been done in Karbi districts, with over 9,500 people linked to militancy in the North East surrendering and joining the mainstream, according to the BJP leader at the vote rally.

Shah urged voters to return the BJP to power in Manipur for the second time in a row, claiming that Chief Minister N Biren Singh has freed the state from bandhs and blockades in the last five years and is steering the state toward peace and development.

During its rule, he claimed, the state was known for militancy, drug and gun trafficking, blockades, and corruption.

All of them have been replaced by development, connectivity, infrastructure, sports, and industries under the BJP, according to Mr. Shah, who claims that the state has been "transformed" during the last five years.

"During the time of the Congress, there were three Is - Instability, Insurgency and Inequality. During the BJP rule, the Is are Innovation, Infrastructure and Integration," the Union Minister said.

He argued that Congress wanted the people of the hills and the valley to fight one other in order to forward its political agenda, whereas the BJP had brought them to prosperity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Mr. Shah, wants to make Manipur the best sports centre in the country, freeing adolescents from drugs and guns and turning them into Olympic gold medalists.

Mr. Shah added that the state is establishing the National Sports University and that a decision has been made to open a Khelo India center in each of the state's 16 districts to tap local talent and offer them a platform.

He stated that a 10-acre 'Olympic Park' will be developed to provide training facilities to state-level athletes in order for them to become worldwide athletes.

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