As the crisis in Manipur continues, legislators from the Meitei, Kuki, and Naga communities are descending at New Delhi for crucial talks on Tuesday, 15 October 2024. This meeting represents the first direct dialogue between Kuki and Meitei MLAs since violent clashes broke out in May 2023, leading to nearly 230 deaths and displacing around 60,000 people, most of whom are Christians.
The talks, scheduled for 1:30 PM at 20 Subramaniam Bharti Marg near Khan Market, are being facilitated by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the direct supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The initiative comes as part of the central government's concerted efforts to broker peace between the estranged communities and find a resolution to the protracted crisis that has gripped the northeastern state.
Among the Meitei representatives expected to participate are prominent figures such as Thongam Biswajit, Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata, and Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr Sapam Ranjan. The Kuki community will be represented by Letpao Haokip, Paolienlal Haokip, and Haokholet Kipgen, among others. Naga MLAs, including Water Resources Minister Awangbow Newmai and Losii Dikho, will also be present at the talks.
Speaking to reporters at Imphal Airport before departing for Delhi, Minister Awangbow Newmai expressed hope that the dialogue would pave the way for an end to the prolonged conflict. “The State Government has been making every effort to find a solution to the violent conflict which erupted on May 3, 2023, and restore peace in the State,” Newmai stated.
The upcoming talks are seen as a crucial step following a series of back-channel communications and meetings between various stakeholders. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has previously held extensive meetings with civil society organisations from all three communities, both during his visit to Manipur and in Delhi since May 2023.
However, the path to reconciliation remains fraught with challenges. The state government, led by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has recently come under fire for its directive to withhold essential services and welfare schemes from “unregistered” villages in the hilly districts. This move has been interpreted by some as targeting the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo communities, exacerbating existing tensions.
A church leader in Imphal, speaking to UCA News on condition of anonymity, expressed concern over the government's decision, stating, “This move is yet another attempt to target indigenous Christians who are mostly from the Kuki-Zo community, living in the state's five hilly districts.”
The conflict in Manipur stems from a complex web of ethnic, religious, and political factors. The Meitei community, which comprises 53% of the state's 3.2 million population and predominantly resides in the valleys, has been at loggerheads with the Kuki-Zo tribal people, who make up 41% of the population and are mostly Christians living in the hilly areas.
The immediate trigger for the violence was a dispute over granting tribal status to the Meitei Hindus, which would allow them to purchase land in indigenous areas. This has led to fears among the Christian minorities about potential encroachment on their ancestral lands.
The upcoming talks in Delhi represent a glimmer of hope for a peaceful resolution, even as the state grapples with deep-seated issues. However, observers note that given the complexity of the situation, a final solution is unlikely to emerge from a single meeting. It is expected that the outcomes of the dialogue will be further deliberated upon at a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board in the coming days.
