Rajnath Singh urges Kukis and Meiteis to have “heart to heart conversation”

Guwahati, Nov 1: Amid ongoing attempts of restoring law and order in the violence-hit Manipur, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday urged the opposing Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur to have a heart-to-heart conversation to restore peace and communal harmony in the region.

While addressing an election rally in the poll-bound Mizoram, Singh said that violence cannot be a solution to any problem and that the two communities in Manipur need to engage in talks in order to improve the law and order situation in the troubled state.

Singh said, “The Northeast has been peaceful in the last nine years. However, we have witnessed violence in Manipur and it is painful for us.”

“Violence is no solution to any problem. What we need is heart-to-heart conversation. I appeal to both the communities to sit together and end trust deficit,” he added.

Speaking further on the ethnic clash between Kukis and Meiteis, he said, “I want to categorically say that the violence did not take place because of any political party. It happened because of certain situations.”

Furthermore, Singh accused Congress of trying the exploit the violence-hit state of Manipur and highlighted that there is a need to keep the entire country, including Northeast, away from the negative politics of Congress.