The Centre’s effort to restore peace in Manipur by initiating peace talks between legislators from conflict-torn Manipur on Tuesday is a good step. Even though it is a delayed effort, it is a good initiative. As per the report, the talk did not yield any result, but, hopefully, it started the healing process. Manipur has been witnessing conflict between Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities and the Meitei community for more than a year. The government of India has failed to take any concrete steps to end the conflict.
Since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May 2023, at least 220 persons have died and over 50,000 people have been left homeless. Violence has since become sporadic but the healing process is nowhere to be seen. Kukis are demanding separate administration for the hill districts and are not ready to engage in any peace dialogue with the Meitei. They allege that the administration in Imphal is partisan to the Meitei. Chief Minister N Biren Singh, a Meitei himself, has done little to remove this perception. The BJP has backed his leadership despite the collapse of the administration and the electoral reverses faced in the general election – the party lost both the Lok Sabha seats in Manipur to the Congress.
The state needs a leadership that can rise above societal divisions and present itself as a neutral arbitrator. The BJP should appoint a new leader to unite everyone and heal the state. The longer they allow the internal conflict in Manipur to grow the more it becomes a threat for the entire NE region, including Arunachal Pradesh. For a peaceful Northeast, the peace must return to Manipur.