New Delhi: In a renewed push to resolve the ethnic conflict in Manipur, the Central government on Saturday convened a high-level meeting with representatives from both the Meitei and Kuki communities.
The dialogue is part of ongoing efforts to chart a roadmap for reconciliation and lasting peace in the violence-hit northeastern state.
According to official sources, the meeting focused on building trust and fostering cooperation between the two communities, whose clashes since May 2023 have left over 260 dead and thousands displaced.
Discussions also emphasised the restoration of law and order and the return of normalcy.
The Meitei delegation included six members, notably from the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations, while the Kuki side was represented by nine delegates.
Retired Intelligence Bureau special director A.K. Mishra led the Centre’s interlocutors during the deliberations.
The outreach follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, where he informed the House that the Ministry of Home Affairs had previously held separate consultations with both communities and their respective organisations.
He added that a joint meeting would be convened soon to further the peace process.
While Shah acknowledged that the situation in Manipur is “largely under control”—with no reported fatalities in the past four months—he stressed that conditions remain unsatisfactory due to the continued displacement of thousands, many of whom are still residing in relief camps.
Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, following the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
The state’s legislative assembly, which remains in suspended animation, has a term until 2027.
The violence erupted in May 2023 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest a Manipur High Court order supporting the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, deep mistrust and severe restrictions on movement between the valley-based Meiteis and hill-dwelling Kukis have gripped the state.
Travel between areas dominated by each group has become virtually impossible, with Kukis depending on Mizoram for transit and Meiteis avoiding the hills altogether.
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Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who took charge as Governor on January 3, has been actively engaging with local stakeholders to assess ground realities and facilitate peace efforts.
A former Union Home Secretary and close aide to Amit Shah, Bhalla has been tasked with restoring order in the state.
Since taking office, he has urged civilians to return looted weapons and has worked to reopen key routes, though efforts have faced resistance, particularly from Kuki groups.
