In a major effort towards bringing peace back to violence-plagued Manipur, the central government conducted a high-level meeting on Saturday with members of the Meitei and Kuki communities.
The meeting, which is designed to encourage dialogue and develop trust, is part of the Centre's efforts to end the ethnic conflict that began in May 2023.
The talks, according to sources, centered on increasing cooperation between the two communities, ensuring law and order, and laying out a road map for reconciliation and lasting peace.
The conference was addressed by a six-member Meitei delegation made up of members from the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations. The Kuki delegation had approximately nine representatives. Central interlocutors were A K Mishra, a former special director of the Intelligence Bureau.
The peace initiative came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent announcement in the Lok Sabha, when he confirmed the Ministry of Home Affairs had already spoken to both communities several times. Shah ensured that a joint meeting would be convened very soon, driving home the government's determination to restore peace.
Shah also told the House that although the situation in Manipur is still relatively peaceful—with no fatalities reported in the past four months—it cannot be said to have returned to normal just yet. Thousands are still in the process of being displaced and living in relief camps. He reaffirmed that restoring peace is the Centre's first priority.
President's rule was clamped in Manipur on February 13, after then Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly has been put into suspended animation, even though its term lasts till 2027.
Since the ethnic conflict started last May—sparked by a tribal solidarity rally objecting to a High Court ruling on granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community—more than 260 individuals have been killed. Furthermore, thousands of weapons were stolen from police stations during the initial unrest.
Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a former Union Home Secretary appointed on January 3, has been actively engaging with various community leaders and stakeholders in the state. Known for his close working relationship with Amit Shah, Bhalla is seen as a key figure in the peacebuilding process. He has called on individuals to surrender looted weapons and has pushed for reopening major roads across the state. However, movement across community-dominated areas remains highly restricted.
Though Kukis travel predominantly via adjacent Mizoram, Meiteis do not venture much into hill tracts controlled by the Kukis—indicating the levels of distrust and animosity that persist even now.
In pursuit of bringing the two factions to the negotiation table, the recent action taken by the Centre has come as a major step towards healing and reconciliation in a state that has for long suffered from violence.
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