Manipur CM begins peace outreach with visit to Jiribam, assures justice

Jiribam, Feb 2026: Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, on Wednesday, began a peace outreach initiative, marking his first major step towards trust-building by visiting Jiribam district.

During his visit, Khemchand met the family of Zosangkim, a young schoolteacher and mother from the Hmar community who was killed during the ethnic violence that engulfed the district in November 2024.

Offering condolences, the Chief Minister assured the family that the government stands with all those who have suffered loss and trauma, and emphasised that restoring peace would require empathy, dialogue and justice.

Officials said the visit was not merely a formal condolence call but a signal that the new government’s approach would prioritise outreach and reconciliation in affected areas.

During interactions with Kuki-Zo and Hmar community leaders and local residents, the Chief Minister described Jiribam as the “gateway to Manipur” and said sustained peace would be key to transforming the district into a hub of trade and economic activity.

He appealed to all communities to move beyond the scars of violence and work collectively towards harmony and inclusive development, invoking the vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”.

Khemchand is the first Chief Minister to visit Jiribam since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur in May 2023. As part of his outreach, he also visited Jairalpokpi, a Kuki-Zo and Hmar village that witnessed arson and large-scale violence during the clashes.

Jiribam witnessed one of the deadliest phases of the Meitei–Kuki conflict in November 2024. At least 19 people were killed in less than two weeks, including 10 Kuki men whom police described as militants, a characterisation disputed by tribal organisations, which termed them village volunteers.

The violence escalated on November 7, when Zosangkim was allegedly raped, shot and killed in Zairawn village. Days later, six members of a Meitei family, including three children, were killed in a separate incident that police attributed to suspected Kuki militants.

While there have been signs of gradual stabilisation in some Meitei–Kuki affected areas following sustained security operations, fresh disturbances have reportedly emerged in Ukhrul district involving sections of the Tangkhul Naga and Kuki communities.

Observers say the Chief Minister now faces the twin challenge of consolidating fragile peace in existing conflict zones while preventing new ethnic tensions from escalating elsewhere in the state.