Breakthrough on the Horizon: Centre Takes Crucial Step in Manipur Harmony Talks with Meitei, Kuki Stakeholders

New Delhi: In a bid to restore peace in the restive state of Manipur, the Centre held a closed-door meeting with representatives of the Meitei and Kuki communities, who have been locked in a bitter conflict since May 2023.

Sources confirmed that the meeting, held on Saturday, aimed to enhance trust and cooperation between the two communities and find a roadmap for restoring peace and normalcy in the state. The discussions also focused on maintaining law and order and facilitating reconciliation between the warring groups.

A six-member Meitei delegation, comprising representatives from the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), attended the meeting. The Kuki delegation consisted of around nine representatives.

The Centre’s interlocutors included A K Mishra, a retired special director of the Intelligence Bureau, who has been part of previous meetings with the community leaders. The meeting was seen as a step towards finding a lasting solution to the conflict, which has claimed over 260 lives and displaced thousands of people.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a statement in the Lok Sabha earlier, had said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has been holding discussions with representatives of both communities and separate meetings have been conducted with different organisations from each group. “The Ministry of Home Affairs will soon convene a joint meeting,” he added.

Shah stressed that the top priority was to establish peace in Manipur, and while the situation was largely under control, with no deaths in the past four months, the issue of displaced people living in relief camps remained unsatisfactory. President’s rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13 after the then Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the state’s Governor, has been meeting cross-sections of people and taking feedback on ways to restore normalcy in the state. Bhalla, a former Union Home Secretary, has been tasked with restoring peace in the restive state. The Centre’s efforts to open the state’s roads for normal traffic have not fructified due to opposition from the Kukis.

The violence in Manipur began after a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised by the Kukis to protest against a Manipur High Court order on the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The conflict has resulted in travel restrictions, with Meiteis avoiding areas dominated by Kukis and vice versa.

The Centre’s efforts to bridge the gap between the two communities come as efforts to restore peace and normalcy in Manipur take center stage. With the Union Home Minister stressing the importance of establishing peace in the state, the road ahead remains uncertain, but the Centre’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between the warring groups offer a glimmer of hope.

Original Source: https://news.abplive.com/news/india/manipur-violence-centre-holds-talks-with-meitei-kuki-representatives-over-conflict-resolution-1763112
Category : India
Tags:
Publish Date: 2025-04-05 14:46:00