In a bid to facilitate peace in the tumultuous region of Manipur, the Union government has encouraged members of a coalition comprising Meitei organizations to engage in dialogues with the Kuki community. This significant development emerged from a meeting between the collective representatives and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The statement elucidating this encouraging initiative was released following their interaction with Shah.

At the heart of this effort is the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an amalgamation of five Meitei groups based in Imphal. Their engagement with Amit Shah transpired at his Delhi residence. Prior to this crucial meeting, Shah had also convened discussions with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda. In further pursuit of this endeavor, COCOMI disclosed their interactions with senior officials from the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

“COCOMI was encouraged to initiate dialogues with responsible Kuki leaders and groups to facilitate problem-solving and peace-building,” the group’s statement said.

“The home minister emphasised a firm stance against all forms of infiltration into Manipur’s territory. Measures are being implemented to register immigrants using biometrics, including retina scans,” the statement added.

The ongoing ethnic conflicts between the Meitei and Kuki communities, which initially erupted on May 3, have tragically resulted in a death toll of at least 155 individuals, with an additional 50,000 people displaced from their homes.

As of now, there has been no official statement issued by the Union Home Ministry regarding the outcome of the meeting.

COCOMI, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, divulged that the Union government is expediting the process of border fencing in Manipur. In a crucial stance, they emphasized that the allowance for a separate administration, a pivotal demand of the Kuki community, should not be entertained.

Addressing the pressing situation, Chief Minister N Biren Singh stated his request for additional paramilitary forces from the Centre to expedite the border fencing work. The Manipur region shares an approximately 398 km porous border with Myanmar, of which only 19 km has been fenced by the government.

COCOMI further conveyed that they submitted a memorandum of demands to the Home Minister, including the unblocking of national highways obstructed by Kuki protesters and the resettlement of the displaced population. COCOMI asserted that during the meeting, the Home Minister assured them that the necessary deployment of forces would be arranged to secure the highways, underlining the significance of support from both the Meitei and Kuki communities.

On August 9, Home Minister Amit Shah met with Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) representatives, prompted by the ITLF's mass burial announcement that led to increased unrest. During the meeting, ITLF highlighted the need for chopper services and other Kuki community demands.

Notably, negotiations involving authorities, a court order, and the Ministry of Home Affairs stopped the planned mass burial of 35 Kuki victims. This decision faced opposition from COCOMI and other Meitei groups, causing clashes. The Centre cited the site's conflict-prone nature. Following the meeting, the ITLF was urged to propose an alternative burial site, but their decision remains pending.

Image source: Indian Express