Manipur: Tripartite Discussions Between Meitei, Kuki-Zo, MHA Yield ‘Unresolved’ Outcomes
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Synopsis
In a recent meeting in New Delhi, the Ministry of Home Affairs and representatives of the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities attempted to address ongoing ethnic tensions. However, the discussions ended without resolution, raising concerns over the government's role in the conflict and the need for genuine dialogue.
Key Takeaways
- First tripartite meeting aimed at resolving ethnic tensions.
- Kuki-Zo delegation described discussions as inconclusive.
- COCOMI criticized the meeting as a staged event.
- Focus on restoring peace and normalcy in Manipur.
- Call for direct engagement and accountability from the government.
New Delhi/Imphal, April 5 (NationPress) In an effort to address the 23-month-long ethnic tensions, the inaugural tripartite discussion involving officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and representatives from the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities took place in New Delhi on Saturday.
However, both MHA officials and Meitei representatives were notably reticent about the specifics of the meeting.
Kuki-Zo Council Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet, who led an eight-member team from Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities, remarked that the meeting was “unresolved”. “There was a suggestion for a joint peace appeal, but we could not come to an agreement,” Thanglet informed IANS via phone from Delhi.
He mentioned that the MHA would determine the timing and location of the subsequent tripartite meeting.
A senior official from the Manipur government in Imphal revealed that this first tripartite discussion was part of the government’s initiative to uncover a mutual resolution to the ethnic strife between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar factions, which erupted on May 3, 2023, over the Meitei’s demand for tribal status.
A six-member delegation from the Meitei community, including representatives from the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS), participated in the meeting. Four senior officials from the government, including MHA advisor for the northeast region, A.K. Mishra, and Joint Director, MHA, Rajesh Kamble, were also in attendance.
The Manipur government official indicated that the purpose of the meeting was to foster trust and collaboration between the conflicting Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities and to devise a strategy to restore peace and normalcy in the northeastern state. The MHA representative emphasized the importance of maintaining law and order while promoting understanding between the two communities.
In the meantime, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an apex body of the Meitei Community, distanced itself from Saturday’s meeting in the national capital between Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar representatives, which was facilitated by MHA officials.
The statement from Laikhuram Jayenta, Convenor of the publicity and information Sub-Committee of COCOMI, labeled the meeting as a “staged spectacle” designed to legitimize a “misleading narrative”. COCOMI asserted that the characterization of the Manipur crisis as a mere “ethnic conflict” between the Meetei and Kuki communities is a significant misrepresentation of the issues at hand.
They argued that this narrative neglects the more profound and hazardous dynamics of a proxy war allegedly fueled by the government’s ongoing support for Chin-Kuki armed factions operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement since 2008.
The organization reiterated that any peace efforts that do not acknowledge the government's active involvement in the conflict are “a superficial exercise aimed solely at political optics.”
In prior discussions with central government officials, including a meeting in Imphal, COCOMI clarified that the residents of Manipur do not view the Union government as a neutral mediator, as stated in their release.
The recent meeting in New Delhi was described by them as hastily arranged with selective participation, more focused on providing talking points for the Home Minister’s parliamentary address than on tackling the underlying causes of the ongoing violence. COCOMI accused the government of failing to take any genuine steps toward resolution while continuing to protect separatist forces and avoid accountability.
The group reiterated essential demands for restoring peace, which include enforcing the rule of law throughout Manipur, dismantling militant strongholds in the hills, terminating the SoO Agreement, ensuring unimpeded access to highways, prosecuting individuals breaching peace efforts, and directly engaging with SoO group leadership, whose representatives have claimed decision-making powers over elected officials.
COCOMI emphasized that authentic civilian dialogue can only commence when the government dismantles the framework of narco-terrorism and armed coercion. Last month, MHA advisor for NE Mishra held separate discussions with various organizations from the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in Manipur.
Leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), a coalition of 13 organizations representing Kuki-Zo tribal communities in Manipur, convened a meeting with senior MHA officials in New Delhi on January 17 to discuss their demands and the current situation in the northeastern state. The KZC and 10 tribal MLAs have been advocating for a separate administration akin to a Union Territory for the Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal-dominated regions.
The Meitei organizations are calling for actions against militants, dismantling militant camps and setups, curbing the drug menace, addressing infiltrators from Myanmar, and implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Since May 3, 2023, over 250 lives have been lost and more than 1,500 individuals injured in the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Over 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes and villages, with extensive damage to both government and private properties during the unrest.
