As Home Ministry calls meeting of Manipur MLAs, all eyes on whether Meiteis, Kukis sit across the table

All three Naga leaders are from the BJP ally Naga Peoples’ Front.

Significantly, the Manipur assembly 40 from the Imphal valley, 10 Kuki-Zo and 10 Naga legislators.

“The meeting will be under the supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs and this will be the first such formal meeting. Hopefully, most will attend and there can be talks for peace,” said MLA Ibomcha.

Apart from these, BJP minister Th Basantha Singh and legislators Kh Raghumani Singh and Th Shyamkumar also left for Delhi Monday. Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan sources said Manipur Governor Lakshman Acharya also left the meeting.

Another Meitei MLA who will be attending said: “We hope that this meeting can be the first step towards peace.”

It’s yet uncertain if Kuki-Zomi leaders will attend the meeting. According to BJP minister and Kuki MLA from Chandel Letpao Haokip, he has yet to confirm his attendance.

“They (Kuki-Zomi MLAs) have all received the invitations around three days ago but I cannot speak for the others. I cannot confirm whether I will attend. There are a number of different issues being addressed,” he said.

According to sources, a group of Kuki-Zomi MLAs met in Delhi Monday evening to discuss the question of who should attend on behalf of the group.

The conflict in Manipur first broke out on May 3 last year and now raged on for 17 months without any significant breakthrough in discussions. Although the Manipur Legislative Assembly has convened thrice since the start of the conflict, the Kuki-Zomi MLAs have largely kept away citing safety concerns.

In June 2023, the Centre had created a 51-member “peace committee” headed by then governor Anusuiya Uikey, but this attempt proved unsuccessful, with representatives from both sides refusing to come to the table.

Calls to the MHA for a comment went unanswered.