Opinion On new Manipur CM’s plate: Tough challenges and an opportunity
The Meitei-Kuki segregation, thousands languishing in relief camps, the free flow of weapons, and the impunity with which militant groups are operating in the state are among the other pressing issues Yumnam Khemchand Singh must lose no time in confronting
In February 2024, when Valley MLAs unhappy with Biren Singh’s government lined up before the BJP leadership in New Delhi to press for his resignation, Khemchand was at the forefront of that push. Nearly a year after the Centre imposed President’s Rule, Manipur is finally set to get a chief minister. Yumnam Khemchand Singh has staked claim to form the government, accompanied, among others, by two Kuki-Zo MLAs of the BJP. This is a significant and welcome development. It had become evident that President’s Rule was unable to provide a healing touch in a state that needed it, and that restoration of a representative government was urgent.
In February 2024, when Valley MLAs unhappy with Biren Singh’s government lined up before the BJP leadership in New Delhi to press for his resignation, Khemchand was at the forefront of that push. Unlike his predecessor, perceived as partisan to the extent that Kuki-Zo groups refused to engage in talks unless he resigned, he has made an effort to reach out to the other side. In December, he visited a relief camp housing displaced Kuki-Zo families, marking the first such outreach across the ethnic divide. The two deputy CMs under him will reportedly be from the Kuki-Zo and Naga communities. As CM, Khemchand will have to deepen and sustain this engagement while working to rebuild trust. Convincing the Kuki-Zo people that he will work equally for their welfare will be an overarching challenge.
When Kuki-Zo MLAs and SoO insurgent groups met last month, they reiterated that any participation in a government would be contingent on a written guarantee from the Centre committing to a separate administration. The Kangpokpi-based Committee on Tribal Unity has expressed its dismay at the “reinstalling [of] a government without first resolving… trust deficit”. These faultlines will have to be addressed. The Meitei-Kuki segregation, thousands languishing in relief camps, the free flow of weapons, and the impunity with which militant groups are operating in the state are among the other pressing issues the new CM must lose no time in confronting. Khemchand’s assumption of office will be a new start — and an opportunity in Manipur. It must not be squandered.
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