Manipur Water Resources Minister Awangbow Newmai, who attended the first-ever meeting on the state’s ethnic violence in New Delhi on Wednesday said here that there would be more meetings and talks involving Meitei, Kuki and Naga leaders in the future to resolve the protracted communal strife in the northeastern state.
Newmai, who belongs to the Naga People’s Front (NPF), returned here from the national capital, said that Tuesday’s meeting was an initial talk before the many such meets in the upcoming months.
The NPF is an ally of the ruling BJP in Manipur.
“Centre, state government and everyone concerned wanted to continue talks to find out an amicable solution to the ongoing ethnic crisis,” the Naga leader told the media and appreciated the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for convening the meeting.
Newmai, who holds the Water Resources, Relief and Disaster Departments, said that everyone participating in Tuesday’s meeting wanted to hold frequent meetings between the different communities to restore peace in Manipur at the earliest.
He said: “From the Tuesday’s meeting we find many positive initiatives taken by the MHA in regards to the ethnic crisis and development of Manipur.”
Three Naga MLAs of NPF — Newmai, Losii Dikho and Ram Muivah — participated in Tuesday’s meeting, where altogether seven Ministers and 13 legislators from Meitei, Kuki and Naga communities took part.
The meeting was called by the Intelligence Bureau under the MHA.
Eight Meitei MLAs, including four ministers and four Kuki-Zo community MLAs including two ministers reportedly participated in the meeting.
Law Minister Basantakumar Singh, and Health Minister Sapam Ranjan Singh, who belong to the majority Metei community, also returned from Delhi on Wednesday, but they, so far, did not interact with the media.
The four Kuki-Zo MLAs — Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen, both ministers and Haokholet Kipgen and Ngursanglur Sanate – in a joint statement said that they held separate meetings with the MHA officials and further asserted that a separate administration or a Union Territory for the tribals (Kuki-Zo community) is a prerequisite for any peace dialogue.
Other Kuki-Zo MLAs including Paolienlal Haokip, who did not attend the meeting, separately told the media in Manipur that in future such meetings on the ethnic crisis should be more formal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should preside over these meetings.
After Tuesday’s meeting, the MHA issued a brief statement saying that a group of elected members of the Manipur Assembly, representing Kuki-Zo-Hmar, Meitei and Naga communities, met in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss on the current scenario in the state.
“The meeting unanimously resolved to appeal to the people of the state belonging to all communities to shun the path of violence so that no more precious lives of innocent citizens are lost,” the statement said.
In Tuesday’s meeting, MHA’s advisor, North East Affairs, A. K. Mishra, Intelligence Bureau’s Joint Director Rajesh Kumble and other senior officials and BJP’s North-East India Coordinator Sambit Patra, the saffron party’s Manipur in-charge Ajeet Gopchade were present.
*Except for the heading, this story has not been edited by The enewstime.in and has been published from IANS feed.
(Manipur, Northeast)
