What Happened in the Recent Meeting with Manipur's Militant Outfits?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The government met with four Kuki militant outfits to discuss peace efforts.
- Meeting held at Assam Police's Special Branch headquarters in Guwahati.
- Union Home Secretary's visit to Manipur preceded the meeting.
- Significant ethnic violence has occurred since May 2023.
- Ongoing discussions about border security and law enforcement in the state.
Guwahati/Imphal, June 6 (NationPress) The authorities have convened a meeting with the leaders of four Kuki militant factions from Manipur, with whom a Suspension of Operation agreement was previously established, as reported by officials.
A senior official disclosed on Thursday that the gathering took place at the Assam Police's Special Branch headquarters located in Kahilipara, Guwahati.
The specifics of this significant meeting remain undisclosed, as all parties involved have refrained from commenting.
This meeting occurred just two days following the visit of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to Manipur.
During his two-day visit, accompanied by Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka, Mohan toured the tribal-dominated districts of Kangpokpi and Churachandpur, as well as Imphal East.
On Monday, Union Home Secretary Mohan and Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla conducted a high-level meeting to address the ongoing border fencing along the India-Myanmar border and the law and order situation within the state.
A representative from the Raj Bhavan noted that Governor Bhalla and Union Home Secretary Mohan held a comprehensive review meeting with senior civil, military, paramilitary, and security officials, discussing critical issues affecting the state, including the ongoing border fencing along the 398-km India-Myanmar border and the state's law and order.
"The review meeting assessed the status of border fencing along the international boundary and the prevailing law and order situation in the state. The maintenance of public order and efforts towards development were key discussion points during these meetings," the official stated.
During his tour of various relief camps across three districts, the Union Home Secretary ensured the welfare of those displaced by violence.
In the meantime, last month, several MLAs and leaders from the Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur convened an important meeting in Guwahati, urging the Central government to resume dialogue with the Kuki militant factions that had previously signed the Suspension of Operation agreement.
The United Peoples' Front and Kuki National Organisation, a coalition of 23 underground groups, signed a Suspension of Operation with the Central government on August 22, 2008, resulting in 2,266 Kuki members residing in designated camps across Manipur.
The Congress party was in power in Manipur at the time the Suspension of Operation was formalized.
Since May 2023, over 260 individuals have lost their lives, and thousands have been displaced due to ethnic conflicts between the Meiteis based in the Imphal Valley and the hill-dwelling Kuki-Zo groups.