Kanglatongbi: BJP legislator and former Rural Development Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday said that peace is the only way to resolve the ongoing ethnic crisis in Manipur.
“The only way forward for Manipur today is peace and dialogue. Let us pray that this Christmas brings peace in the state,” Khemchand told newspersons on the sidelines of an all-community Christmas gathering organized by the Liangmei Nagas of Namdilong village under Kanglatongbi in Imphal West district, bordering Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district.
Addressing the Christmas gathering, Khemchand said that Lord Jesus Christ is known as the “Prince of Peace” and everyone should pray to the Lord for a peaceful Manipur.
“People from both Meitei and Kuki communities have been suffering for the last two years as they couldn’t enter each other’s areas. I hope after this Christmas, Lord Jesus Christ will remove the barriers and both sides can enter each other’s areas,” he said.
He emphasised that Manipur is home to 36 communities, each of which plays a vital role in safeguarding the state’s interests. “All 36 communities should come together to protect and preserve Manipur,” said Khemchand.
The BJP MLA was accompanied by his spouse, Y. Joybala Devi, during the Christmas celebration. The couple joined Naga tribal dancers during performances held as part of the Christmas celebrations.
More than 260 people were killed in the Meitei–Kuki violence that erupted in May 2023, leaving thousands homeless. Over 60,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to live in relief camps across Manipur.
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Khemchand recently became the first Meitei MLA to visit the Kuki villages of Litan and Chassad in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts since the outbreak of the violence in May 2023, where he met Kuki IDPs.
