Amidst violence between the Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur, leaders of the Meitei and Naga communities on Tuesday signed an agreement to resolve the misunderstandings between them after the killing of a Naga woman by Meitei community people.
Leaders of the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Tuesday met Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in the presence of ministers and MLAs belonging to both communities.
The leaders of COCOMI, owing up moral responsibility, expressed regret over the brutal killing of M. Lucy (Maring Naga) on Saturday at Sawombung in Imphal and tendered sincere apology before the Naga delegates led by the UNC.
Condemning the killing of the Naga woman, the Chief Minister has assured that severe punishment would be given to the perpetrators.
A joint statement of COCOMI and UNC said that it was decided that the state government would pay an amount of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of late M. Lucy to fulfill the agreement as per Naga customary law and an amount of Rs 5 lakh would also be given to meet ritual requirements according to Maring community customary law.
The state government would also pay Rs 5 lakh to meet the educational needs of Marim Shangpui, daughter of the late M. Lucy. The state government would also provide employment to Marim Shangpui in a government post commensurate with her educational qualification when she becomes eligible in age for such employment.
The UNC has agreed to suspend all forms of agitation and extend cooperation to the police to facilitate the early completion of the investigation.
To protest the killing of the Naga woman, the UNC on Monday organized a blockade for 12 hours on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2), the lifeline of Manipur and normal life was crippled in all the Naga-dominated areas in northern Manipur following the shutdown it called from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday.
