Meitei & Kuki legislators likely to discuss peace in Delhi, Amit Shah to lead
So far, there has been no news of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh attending the meeting
The initiative has been taken up by the Ministry of Home Affairs. (Representational image)
Imphal, Oct 14: For the first time since ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, Meitei and Kuki legislators are likely to hold dailogue in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
The initiative, aimed at permanently resolving the ongoing crisis in the state, has been initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the leadership of Union Home Minister Shah, a source told The Assam Tribune.
Meitei MLAs expected to participate in the peace talks include Speaker Th Satyabrata, Works Minister K. Govindas, Agriculture Minister Th Biswajit, Thanga MLA T. Robindro, and Heirok MLA Th Radheshyam.
Among the Kuki MLAs, Horticulture Minister Letpao Haokip, Saitu MLA Haokholet Kipgen, and Saikot MLA Paolienlal Haokip are likely to attend the meeting in New Delhi, the source said, adding that additional MLAs may also join the dialogue process.
Amid discussions about the meeting, Speaker Th Satyabrata and Thanga MLA T. Robindro have already left Imphal for New Delhi on Sunday, with more ministers and MLAs expected to follow suit on Monday.
According to reports, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh will not attend the talks, as sources indicate that Kuki legislators are unwilling to share the table with him.
Notably, during an event celebrating the completion of 100 days of the BJP-led government at the Centre, the Union Home Minister had said that the BJP-led Union government has been “working to resolve the violence in Manipur”.
Shah also claimed that talks with representatives of both warring communities have begun, cautioning that the “violence cannot be resolved without dialogue”.
For lasting peace in the state, various programmes will be outlined and implemented, Shah mentioned during the event. He also asserted that the violence in Manipur had significantly subsided and that the government would effectively contain it.
It has been more than one and a half years since ethnic violence has plagued Manipur, resulting in over 200 deaths and leaving more than 60,000 people homeless, languishing in relief camps across the state.
Villagers whose houses were torched during the peak of the violence are still unable to return to their respective villages. However, there have been fewer reports of firing between the two warring communities in the fringe villages.
