In a significant step towards peace in strife-torn Manipur, Meitei-based civil organisations—All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) and Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS)—on Monday announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed a six-point resolution as a roadmap for peace in the state.
The development comes following a landmark meeting held in New Delhi on April 5, where for the first time since ethnic violence broke out nearly two years ago, representatives from both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities met face-to-face under the initiative of the MHA.
Addressing reporters, AMUCO President Nando Luwang said the organisations were verbally invited by the MHA and attended the talks without any preconditions. “The dialogue was a positive step forward. We presented the concerns of the people and focused on finding solutions,” he said. MHA representative A.K. Mishra reportedly urged both sides to concentrate on constructive discussions rather than debates.
Luwang said that after thorough deliberations, ministry officials framed a six-point resolution, which was shared with all participants for feedback. “We gave our consent to the six points,” he said, adding that the meeting marked the beginning of a roadmap towards peace and coexistence in Manipur.
Detailing the resolution, Luwang said the MHA urged civil society organisations to appeal to both communities to refrain from violence, while assuring that all long-standing contentious issues would be addressed through dialogue and consultation with the communities involved.
He also noted that the Home Ministry signalled the possibility of future rounds of dialogue to work toward a lasting resolution.
BM Shah, acting president of FOCS, emphasized during the press conference that while peace efforts are welcome, “there will be no compromise on the territorial integrity of Manipur.”
The Meitei delegation at the meeting comprised six members representing AMUCO and FOCS, while the Kuki-Zo Council sent a nine-member team. The peace talks are seen as a renewed push by the Centre to restore normalcy and bring an end to the prolonged ethnic conflict in the northeastern state.
