A first since Manipur ethnic violence: Meitei, Kuki, Naga MLAs to hold talks in Delhi

For the first time since the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur last year, several MLAs from the Meitei, Kuki, and Naga communities are set to hold a joint meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, with oversight from the home ministry, according to sources in the ministry.

Three Naga MLAs will attend the meeting in the national capital, though the exact number of Meitei and Kuki legislators participating is still unclear, they said.

“The talks are part of the Centre’s efforts to facilitate a dialogue between the warring communities and seek a solution to the crisis,” an official told PTI. Over 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence in Manipur since May 2023.

“From the Naga side, three MLAs - Awangbou Newmai, L Dikho and Ram Muivah - will be attending the meeting in New Delhi. Muivah is currently in the national capital over a personal issue,” an official source said.All three MLAs are from the Naga People’s Front (NPF), an ally of the ruling BJP in the state.

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Several BJP legislators also left for the national capital on different flights from Imphal.“We have been asked to come to Delhi to discuss certain things. I don’t know the exact agenda now. We have been exploring all means for bringing peace,” Water Resources Minister Awangbou Newmai told reporters at Imphal airport.

NPF legislator L Dikho said it is difficult to bring peace to Manipur unless all the communities and people are involved.“The initiative of the Home Ministry is a very good sign and I have hopes. I would like to attend the meeting and see how far we can go with this initiative,” Dikho said.State Congress president K Meghachandra said any initiative to reach a solution is good but the opposition party was not invited.

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“However, if the outcome is positive, it will be good for the people of entire Manipur. But the participation of opposition is also required (at the meeting) given the magnitude of the violence,” said Meghachandra who also left for Delhi for some other reason.Speaker T Satyabrata had flown to Delhi on Sunday.

“The talks are part of the Centre’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between the warring communities and to seek a solution in the more than a year-and-a-half-long ethnic crisis in the state,” an official said.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a frontal organisation of Kuki-Zo tribes in Manipur said there should have been consultative talks within the community on the agenda of the meeting.“No civil society organisations were informed about the meeting by the MLAs. They should have been made aware of such an important meeting,” ITLF general secretary Muan Tombing said.

With inputs from agencies.