Manipur tribal group ITLF meets Amit Shah in Delhi

New Delhi: In an effort to bring peace to restive Manipur, a collective of tribals from the state on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and raised their various demands.

A delegation of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) held the talks with the home minister, ITLF secretary Muan Tombing told PTI.

The ITLF has been seeking solution to their five key demands which include total separation from Manipur and the burial of the bodies of Kuki-Zo community members. The bodies are currently lying in Imphal and the group has been demanding that they be brought to Churachandpur.

According to an ITLF memorandum, addressed to the Union home minister and submitted through the headquarters of the 27 Sector, Assam Rifles, early this week, the tribal body had a long deliberation with various stake-holders on the request of Shah to delay the burial for another five days.

The ITLF leaders reached Delhi coming via Aizawl, the capital of neighbouring Mizoram.

Shah had earlier extended an invitation to the ITLF for a meeting with him in the national capital to discuss the situation in Manipur.

Ethnic clashes first broke out between Kukis and Meiteis in Manipur on May 3 and since then more than 160 people have lost their lives.