GUWAHATI: Over a year after the first round of violence, Manipur continues to simmer because of a deep polarisation on ethnic lines which has spread to govt officials and police, easy availability of weapons and sustained misinformation by all stakeholders, as per Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita (retd), who headed the Army’s Eastern Command until nine months ago.

“Unless these three basic factors are addressed, the violence will continue,” Lt Gen Kalita told TOI.
China, with its “history of keeping the pot boiling” in India’s Northeast, might be fomenting ethnic unrest in Manipur, the general said, adding that China and neighbouring Myanmar weren’t involved in the initial phase of the conflict but that may no longer be the case.
Manipur to get commodities at reasonable rates: Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday announced Centre’s decision to provide commodities at reasonable prices to common people of strife-hit Manipur through its

Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar

(KPKB) outlets, starting Tuesday.
“In line with PM @narendramodi Ji’s commitment, MHA is launching an initiative to provide commodities to people of Manipur at reasonable prices. Now Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars will be open for common people from Sept17, 2024,” Shah said in a post on X. “In addition to 21 existing Bhandars, 16 new ones will be opened. Among 16 new centres, eight will be in (Imphal) Valley, and remaining eight in the hills,” he added.

KPKB are a welfare initiative launched by MHA in 2006 to provide consumer goods to personnel and kin of serving and retired members of

central armed police forces

, central police organisations and state police forces, at rates cheaper than open market. There are 119 master bhandars as warehouses and over 1,800 subsidiary bhandars as retail outlets.
Central purchase committee of KPKB successfully negotiates with the firms to get maximum discounts along with consumer promotional offers on products in order to save hard earned money of KPKB beneficiaries.