<p>The talks held in Delhi on the Manipur crisis last week among various stakeholders in the state were a follow-up to the resignation of the N Biren Singh government and the imposition of President’s rule in February. The talks were attended by leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) comprising 13 organisations of the Kuki-Zo community and representatives of the Meitei community. There are disagreements between the two communities over a range of issues and these have aggravated in the past two years. The widespread violence and disturbances that started on May 3, 2023, have led to over 250 deaths and resulted in displacement of thousands of people. The Delhi talks were described as “inconclusive” and have been seen as a failure. There was no statement after the meeting but the talks are set to continue. That can be seen as a positive takeaway.</p>.<p>The Kukis have been demanding a separate administration in the hill areas where they mostly reside. The Meitei groups have strongly opposed this and have demanded measures to curb use and trafficking of drugs and infiltration from Myanmar. They also want implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Both sides continue to hold these positions. It would be too optimistic to assume that the two camps would soften their positions soon after so much of strife and bloodletting. It has also been pointed out that the meeting was not fully representative. The Co-ordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the Meitei community, was not present at the meeting. It has criticised the talks as a “stage-managed spectacle” produced by the Central government to favour the Kuki-Zo community. The response of the body shows how difficult the challenges are.</p>.Modi in Lanka: Strides for shared goals.<p class="bodytext">The Central government should pursue the reconciliation efforts with determination. Governor A K Bhalla, who was Union Home Secretary and knows the North-East well, should continue his initiative. There is a widespread impression that the Central government has supported the Meiteis in the conflict. This may have been created by its continued support for Biren Singh even when it was known that he was biased in favour of the Meiteis. It has also been felt that the Centre did not give adequate attention to Manipur – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not visit the state has been cited as evidence. Even the motion in parliament for approval of the President’s rule was moved in the small hours – about 3 am in the Lok Sabha and 4 am in the Rajya Sabha. The timing could be traced to the government’s reluctance to hold a discussion on the matter and it certainly did not send a good message to the strife-torn state.</p>
<p>The talks held in Delhi on the Manipur crisis last week among various stakeholders in the state were a follow-up to the resignation of the N Biren Singh government and the imposition of President’s rule in February. The talks were attended by leaders of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) comprising 13 organisations of the Kuki-Zo community and representatives of the Meitei community. There are disagreements between the two communities over a range of issues and these have aggravated in the past two years. The widespread violence and disturbances that started on May 3, 2023, have led to over 250 deaths and resulted in displacement of thousands of people. The Delhi talks were described as “inconclusive” and have been seen as a failure. There was no statement after the meeting but the talks are set to continue. That can be seen as a positive takeaway.</p>.<p>The Kukis have been demanding a separate administration in the hill areas where they mostly reside. The Meitei groups have strongly opposed this and have demanded measures to curb use and trafficking of drugs and infiltration from Myanmar. They also want implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Both sides continue to hold these positions. It would be too optimistic to assume that the two camps would soften their positions soon after so much of strife and bloodletting. It has also been pointed out that the meeting was not fully representative. The Co-ordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the Meitei community, was not present at the meeting. It has criticised the talks as a “stage-managed spectacle” produced by the Central government to favour the Kuki-Zo community. The response of the body shows how difficult the challenges are.</p>.Modi in Lanka: Strides for shared goals.<p class="bodytext">The Central government should pursue the reconciliation efforts with determination. Governor A K Bhalla, who was Union Home Secretary and knows the North-East well, should continue his initiative. There is a widespread impression that the Central government has supported the Meiteis in the conflict. This may have been created by its continued support for Biren Singh even when it was known that he was biased in favour of the Meiteis. It has also been felt that the Centre did not give adequate attention to Manipur – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not visit the state has been cited as evidence. Even the motion in parliament for approval of the President’s rule was moved in the small hours – about 3 am in the Lok Sabha and 4 am in the Rajya Sabha. The timing could be traced to the government’s reluctance to hold a discussion on the matter and it certainly did not send a good message to the strife-torn state.</p>
