New Delhi. 16 months after the start of caste violence in Manipur, a major concrete initiative has been taken to restore peace. On Tuesday, October 15, on the initiative of the Union Home Ministry, talks took place for the first time between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Delhi. MLAs from Naga community also participated in it. Kuki and Meiti community leaders and MLAs attended the Home Ministry meeting, which discussed measures to restore peace and end violence.
State Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Tongbram Robindro and Basantkumar Singh attended the meeting held on Tuesday on behalf of the Meitei community. On behalf of the Kuki community, the state ministers were MLAs Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipjen. The Naga community was represented by MLAs Ram Muivah, Awangbo Newmai and L Dikho. AK Mishra and other senior officials from the Home Ministry were present in the meeting. However, Home Minister Amit Shah and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh did not attend the meeting. Details of the meeting have not been released.
However, caste violence in Manipur started on May 3, 2023, which is still continuing. In the last 16 months, 226 people have died in violence. More than 11 hundred people have been injured and more than 60 thousand people have been displaced. Before the Delhi meeting, a peace agreement was signed between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Jiribam, Manipur in August, but it did not yield any significant results.