The delegation, headed by former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, arrived at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, bringing representatives from the Congress Legislature Party, Lok Sabha MP Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, MLA Okram Surjakumar, and other INDIA bloc leaders. They pressed the sitting chief minister, Khemchand Singh, to convene an all‑party forum amid the tense security climate.
The catalyst was the Monday night murder of three Meitei firewood collectors in Nongshum, Imphal East district, where armed miscreants allegedly shot them dead. The killings set off angry crowds that marched to the CM’s residence, placing the bodies at the gates, and sparked a 48‑hour statewide shutdown that halted trains, buses and schools across Manipur.
Khemchand Singh, in a statement to IANS, said he had listened patiently to the delegation’s concerns and assured them that the matter would be examined. He added that the meeting would focus on restoring peace and restoring public confidence in the state administration’s ability to guarantee civilian safety.
The INDIA bloc’s appeal underscores a broader demand for coordinated political intervention; in the past, it has called for meetings with the Prime Minister and Home Minister to address security lapses. No concrete date for the requested all‑party meeting has been announced, but the state government has said it will soon set one.
For families like the Sings, the tragedy remains fresh: the mother of one of the victims, Mrs. S. Singh, says she wants the perpetrators held accountable and that the state must act before more lives are lost. Her voice echoes across a populace that has grown weary of nightly violence.