Setback to peace efforts in Manipur as Kuki groups refuse to be part of peace committee

The decision comes on a day CM Biren Singh announced that the Centre assured him that no 'separate administration' would be allowed

In what could jeopardise the efforts to restore peace in violence-hit Manipur, organisations representing Kuki-Hmar-Zo tribe on Monday decided not to be a part of the Peace Committee, which was constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs recently.

The Core Committee on Separate Administration Movement, a forum of Kuki civil society organisations, in a statement to DH stated that the historical, political, socio-economic and human rights of the Zomi-Kuki-Hmar and Mizo communities must prevail first for initiating the peace process.

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"Even though peace has been our earnest desire, to talk about peace in the shadow of continued violence, exploitation and oppression is an exercise which will prove futile. And to include N. Biren Singh, the main perpetrator of this violence, as a member of the Peace Committee in itself is an insult to the Zomi-Kuki-Hmar and Mizo communities," said the statement.

The committee said that no civil society organisation, tribe bodies and individuals would be part of the Peace Committee which was constituted by the Centre on Saturday. The 51-member committee headed by Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, was set up in order to restore peace through consultations with various stakeholders and community organisations.

The decision was taken on a day Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that the Centre assured the BJP government in the state that no "separate administration" would be granted as demanded by the Kuki-Hmar-Zo communities and there would be no compromise on Manipur's territorial integrity. The Kuki groups and at least 10 MLAs Kuki-Hmar-Zo MLAs, including seven belonging to BJP moved the Centre with a demand for a "separate administration" for the communities, days after the Meitei-Kuki riot broke out in Manipur.

Over 100 people have died and nearly 3,000 houses have been burnt down while over 50,000 others, belonging to both the communities, have been displaced due to violence. The violence started on May 3 over demand for ST by the Meitei community, which constitutes nearly 53 per cent of Manipur's population.

Amit Shah's peace efforts

Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited Manipur between May 29 and June 1, appealed to all communities to give peace a chance, at least for 15 days to discuss the vexed issues. But sporadic incidents of firing and house burning took place during Shah's visit and the same continued thereafter. Both the Kuki and Meitei communitis blamed each other for continuity of the violence.

Many were hoping that the Peace Committee would help to curb violence as it comprises prominent people from all communities and fields, but the call to boycott the Peace Committee by the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi communities came as a setback for the process to restore peace in the militancy-hit state.

"It is also our firm belief that justice is an indispensable precursor to peace. Our communities have been the long-term victim of political, social and economic injustice, oppression and exploitation as citizens of India in Manipur. And the present state sponsored ethnic cleansing drive by the dominant Meitei community is the ugly manifestation of this long term subjugation and just the proverbial tip of the iceberg," said the statement.

Earlier in the day, Kuki Inpi Manipur and Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), two umbrella organisations of the Kuki-Hmar-Zo tribes also wrote to the Governor objecting to the Peace Committee and inclusion of Biren Singh as a member. The ITLF said that violence by the "Meitei miscreants" continued even on Monday when a Kuki youth was killed in Churachandpur district, during the Governor's visit to a relief camp.