After many tribal organisations of Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities, ten Manipur tribal MLAs, who have also been demanding separate administrations or a Union Territory with the legislature for the tribals in the state, on Sunday expressed hope that the Centre would lay out a comprehensive political roadmap for peace.
The ten tribal legislators, of which seven belong to BJP, while acknowledging the Centre’s decision to place the Manipur Assembly under suspended animation expressed hope that the government would lay out a comprehensive political roadmap for peace and justice under a negotiated settlement.
“We also look forward to time-bound measures to end the sufferings that the conflict-affected and internally displaced people continue to undergo,” the ten MLAs said in a joint statement.
Since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, these ten tribal MLAs, including two were cabinet ministers until the President’s Rule was imposed on February 13, have been boycotting the state government and the state assembly sessions.
Meanwhile, reiterating its support for the President’s Rule in Manipur, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), an apex body of Kuki-Zo tribals in Manipur, on Saturday, expressed confidence that it would pave the way for due political settlements.
The KZC, a conglomerate of Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and several other organisations of Kuki-Zo tribal communities, had said that the Council receives positively the government’s declaration of the President’s Rule in the state.
ITLF spokesman Ginza Vualzong said that the President’s Rule is preferable to a change of Chief Minister.
“The Kuki-Zo do not trust Meitei anymore, so a new Meitei Chief Minister is still far from comforting. President’s Rule will give a ray of hope to the Kuki-Zo, and we believe that it will be one step closer to our political solution,” Vualzong said.
He said: “With the President’s Rule, I believe the groundwork to end violence will begin, which will pave the way for a conducive environment for political dialogue.”
The ITLF, KIM, and all other organisations of Kuki-Zo tribals since the ethnic violence started in May 2023 have been demanding a separate administration or a Union Territory for the tribals in Manipur.
After the resignation of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on February 9, hectic parleys took place to choose an alternate leader of the ruling BJP legislature party who would be the Chief Minister of the new government.
Since February 9, Sambit Patra, BJP’s in-charge for northeastern states, held a series of meetings with the Ministers, MLAs and leaders of BJP and other party allies to take their views.
The BJP MP from Puri parliamentary constituency (Odisha) also held several meetings with Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan and discussed the prevailing political situation in the trouble-torn state.
“As we could not finalise a consensus name for the leader of the legislature party who could be the next Chief Minister after Biren Singh’s resignation, the Governor recommended to the President to impose the President’s Rule in the state,” another senior BJP leader said.
He said: “There are three factions among the Ministers and MLAs proposing different names for the CM’s post.”
He said that earlier, the Central BJP leaders separately called Biren Singh, ministers, a few leaders and MLAs to Delhi, and discussed the political and ethnic situation in Manipur.
BJP sources said that state Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Municipal Administrations, Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Rajya Member from Manipur Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba are the frontrunners for the Chief Minister’s post.
The BJP is trying to choose a leader who will be acceptable both among tribals – Kuki-Zo-Hmar and Naga and the majority non-tribal Meitei communities. Non-tribal Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley while Nagas and Kuki-Zo-Hmar constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.
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