Peace on agenda, Govt holds talks with Kuki, Meitei leaders

COCOMI had on Tuesday issued a statement that the government must not talk to SoO groups as they are “responsible for the ongoing violence in the state”.

While talks with SoO groups have been going on for the past several months and a Kuki peace deal had even been nearly finalised before the state was thrown into turmoil beginning May, multiple rounds of talks have been held after the onset of violence in the state.

Sources said while the talks before the May violence were focused on finding a political solution to the issue of tribal self-determination, the current series of talks is largely focused on finding ways to end the ongoing violence in the state.

“It is not the right time to hold political talks. Right now the focus is to find ways to gradually tone down, if not immediately end, the violence in the state. Various ways are being discussed with the stakeholders. The Kuki demand for a separate administration is not being discussed at the moment,” a government source said.

The Home Ministry is also in constant touch with Manipur CM N Biren Singh to find a solution on the Meitei side. Sources said it was due to Singh’s intervention that a drive by security forces to dismantle bunkers in the fringe areas of the Valley did not face too much resistance from the Meiteis. The move was also supported by COCOMI, even though Kuki groups had vehemently opposed the decision, saying they would become defenceless against marauding mobs.

Members of Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) take part in a protest rally as a mark of protest against the incidents of violence in Manipur. (PTI)

“These talks have had some impact. The degree of violence has gone down a bit in the past few days even though stray incidents of firing and arson are being reported almost every day in the fringe areas. The viral video of assault on two women has catapulted the Manipur crisis to the national level and both sides appear to be holding their horses at the moment,” a Manipur security establishment officer said.

On the political front, however, there was no solution in sight in the near future, sources said. “While Kukis are adamant on a separate administration having lost all trust in the current Manipur government, the CM is rooting for status quo ante. At the moment, none of these solutions are workable. Granting separate administration to Kukis will rile up Meiteis given the current situation. Kukis will not accept the status quo ante. Only after the violence ebbs, perhaps, the two sides will be able to hear each other,” a key political leader engaged in talks said.

Notably, a formula for political settlement with the Kuki-Zomi insurgent groups had been worked out by the end of April this year. The peace talks had settled upon the module of providing ‘territorial councils’ to the tribes of Manipur. The Kuki groups had asked that the 10 hill districts, dominated by Kuki-Zomi and Naga tribes – be divided into two territorial councils – one for the Nagas and the other for the Kuki-Zomi groups. The Biren Singh-led government had proposed that there be ten territorial councils – one for every district. The Centre had proposed a division of 2-2-1 – a proposition that was backed by the Zomi insurgent groups.

This, however, is now off the table with Meiteis opposed to it and Kukis demanding a completely separate administration.