A major stride towards peace has been witnessed in Manipur almost 3 years following the ethnic violence-tainted region as Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand organized an ice-breaking conference with Kuki-Zo Council representatives. It was the first official meeting between the Meitei leadership and the Kuki-Zo community since violence started on May 3, 2023.
The meeting, which was described as a pre-relationship to defuse tensions, centered on the major problem of deficit of deep trust between the two communities. The Kuki-Zo Council articulated some important issues such as the necessity to reduce the current tensions, provide justice to the victims of the conflict, and preserve the integrity of the specific buffer zones until a wider political solution is obtained.
The council also emphasized the need to speed up Suspension of Operations (SoO) negotiation in order to pave way to sustainable peace. The Chief Minister, in turn, indicated the work of the state government to restore normalcy and reinstated his desire to engage in dialogue and reconciliation.
Speaking afterward, Khemchand explained that the meeting was only an exploratory one, and no formal demands or agreements were done. Nevertheless, he called the engagement a good start, and that it would take time and efforts to restore trust.
He further provided that additional rounds of discussions can be conducted possibly at Imphal, to proceed with the peace process. Challenges still exist but the meeting is being perceived as a much-needed initial step in bridging the gap in divided states and bringing back sanity in the strife-ridden nation.