Imphal, June 10: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday held a series of meetings in Imphal with his Manipur counterpart N. Biren Singh, party MLAs and organisations in an effort to tame the ethnic hostilities in the state.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the Convenor of BJP-led North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), arrived in Manipur earlier on Saturday on a day-long visit.

Talking to reporters in Imphal, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “My visit is a goodwill gesture. I should have come earlier. This is my first visit. I need to understand the situation more. I discussed things with chief minister N Biren Singh, his cabinet, and MLAs and have met representatives of social organisations. I will report the same to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. I could not meet the representatives of the Kuki community. As and when the need arises, I will definitely meet them.”

Manipur BJP president Sharda Devi said, “We held a meeting with our NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the ongoing violence in Manipur. Whatever the Central government and state government is doing to restore peace and normalcy in the state is praiseworthy. We want the peace should be restore in the state as early as possible.”

On the other hand, Various Kuki tribal organisations continued the blockade on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2) in Manipur creating a serious problem of transporting essentials, food grains, transport fuel, life-saving drugs.

On Saturday, the Central government announced that it has constituted a Peace Committee with Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey as the Chairperson in an effort to bring normalcy to the violence-hit state.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, besides the Governor, the Committee will also include Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, few state Ministers, MPs, MLAs, leaders from different political parties, former civil servants, educationists, litterateurs, artists, social workers and representatives of different ethnic groups.