Round 20 MLAs belonging to the warring Meitei and Kuki communities of Manipur met right here on Tuesday for the primary time since ethnic violence broke out within the northeastern state 17 months in the past, in a bid to hammer out a peaceable answer to the continuing battle.
Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) MP Sambit Patra and three MLAs from the Naga neighborhood had been additionally current on the over-two-hour-long assembly convened by the Ministry of Dwelling Affairs (MHA) as a part of its efforts to iron out variations between the Meiteis and Kukis, and discover an amicable answer to the disaster.
Nonetheless, Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh didn’t attend the assembly, despite the fact that the Centre’s interlocutor, A Ok Mishra, and different senior officers had been current.
In a press release, the MHA stated a gaggle of elected members of the Manipur Meeting, representing the Kuki-Zo-Hmar, Meitei and Naga communities, met right here to debate the present state of affairs within the state.
“The assembly unanimously resolved to attraction to the folks of the state belonging to all communities to shun the trail of violence in order that no extra treasured lives of harmless residents are misplaced,” the assertion stated.
This was the primary time since Might 3, 2023 that the Meitei and Kuki MLAs had been in a similar room. Not one of the 10 Kuki MLAs set foot within the Meitei-dominated Imphal valley and state capital Imphal within the final yr and a half. They’ve additionally given all of the Meeting periods held since then a miss.
Sources stated either side put ahead the views and grievances of the 2 communities and their sufferings throughout the lengthy turmoil.
The MLAs additionally mentioned the best way ahead and how you can go about within the coming days, however nothing concrete might be achieved, they added.
“It was starting. We weren’t anticipating a miracle on the first assembly however it’s an achievement that we might carry MLAs of the 2 communities beneath the identical roof. We hope that they may meet once more within the close to future so {that a} peaceable answer is discovered,” a supply aware about the deliberations stated.
On Patra’s presence on the assembly, the sources stated he’s the BJP’s coordinator for the northeast and was instrumental in bringing the MLAs to the capital.
Efforts can be made for comparable conferences of civil society teams of the Meitei and Kuki communities in order that their variations might be bridged and peace restored within the state, the sources stated.
Those that attended the assembly included state Meeting Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Tongbram Robindro, Th. Basantakumar Singh from the Meitei facet and Kuki MLAs Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen (each state ministers).
The Naga neighborhood was represented by MLAs Ram Muivah, Awangbow Newmai and L Dikho, the sources stated.
The deliberations got here practically a month after Shah stated resolving the scenario in Manipur requires dialogue between the Kukis and Meiteis, and that the Centre is in dialogue with each the teams.
On June 17, an analogous assertion was given by the house minister when he reviewed the safety scenario within the northeastern state.
An announcement from the ministry had stated Shah had underscored the significance of a coordinated strategy to resolve the continuing battle in Manipur and added that the “MHA will speak to each the teams, Meiteis and Kukis, in order to bridge the ethnic divide on the earliest”.
All of the Naga, Kuki and Meitei MLAs and ministers who attended the meet had been invited by the MHA via letters and phone calls, the sources stated.
In accordance with the needs of the Kukis, the MLAs from the neighborhood had earlier pressed their demand for a separate administration or a Union Territory for tribals in Manipur.
Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on Might 3 final yr after a tribal solidarity march was taken out within the hill districts of the state to protest towards the bulk Meitei neighborhood’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) standing.
Since then, greater than 220 folks, together with members of each the Kuki and Meitei communities in addition to safety personnel, have been killed within the violence.
(This report has been printed as a part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Aside from the headline, no enhancing has been carried out within the copy by ABP Stay.)